NEWS IN: Ruto Announces New Fresh Milk Prices From This Date, Details

President William Ruto has announced an increase in the price paid to dairy farmers for every litre of milk, with the new rate taking effect in October 2026.

Speaking during his Mashujaa Day address in Eldoret on Tuesday, October 20, Ruto said farmers would receive KSh 65 per litre, up from the previous KSh 60.

The new pricing structure also includes an additional KSh 2 per litre bonus, which will accumulate monthly and be paid to farmers every quarter.

The announcement is expected to provide additional income for dairy farmers as the government seeks to strengthen the country’s milk production and improve earnings in the agricultural sector.

Ruto noted that the price paid to farmers had risen from KSh 35 to KSh 60 per litre in recent years, while national milk production had increased by one billion litres over the same period.

He attributed the progress to measures aimed at supporting livestock farming and improving the dairy value chain.

The president also pledged to clear KSh 400 million in outstanding payments owed to dairy farmers before the end of October 2026, promising relief to suppliers awaiting their money.

Alongside the new prices, Ruto announced plans to restructure the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (New KCC) by giving individual factories greater operational independence.

Under the proposed arrangement, factories would be owned by farmers in their respective regions rather than being managed through a centralised structure in Nairobi.

The government expects the changes to improve milk collection, reduce transportation costs and make distribution more efficient.

Ruto said the government had injected KSh 8 billion into New KCC over the past three years to stabilise its operations.

He also cited progress in the livestock sector, including an increase in annual artificial inseminations from 900,000 to 1.28 million and a reduction in the cost of sexed semen from KSh 8,000 to KSh 1,400.

More than 22 million livestock have been vaccinated, while over 52,000 animals have been distributed to 10,000 households across 16 counties under restocking programmes.

The government is also pursuing wider agricultural and trade opportunities, including agreements with the European Union and the United Arab Emirates, alongside ongoing trade engagements with China and the United States.

The latest milk price adjustment forms part of the government’s broader plan to improve farmers’ earnings and make dairy farming a more commercially viable activity.

Qhttps://www.tuko.co.ke/business-economy/643828-mashujaa-day-ruto-announces-milk-prices-beginning-month/

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