A section of the Brookside Dairy limited plant in Ruiru Kiambu County. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU
By GERALD ANDAE
In Summary
- Brookside plans to start exports to the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), having already covered the East African market.
- President Buhari, who is in the country on a three-day State visit, toured the Brookside plant Thursday “to learn from Kenya’s dairy experience and transfer the same to Nigeria.”
Brookside Dairy’s target of breaking into the West
African export market got a boost Thursday with a visit of its Ruiru
processing factory by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
Brookside executive chairman Muhoho Kenyatta said the dairy
wants to start exports to the Economic Community of West African States
(Ecowas), having already covered the East African market.
“Having been able to considerably satisfy the East
African market with our products, we are keen in casting our vision and
scope wider by venturing into the West African market,” said Mr Muhoho.
He noted that the processor wants to establish a
partnership with the Ecowas member states in the dairy sector in order
to boost revenue.
“It is our hope that together we can help to
realise the same dream of dairy farming with our West African brothers
and sisters,” he said.
Mr Buhari, who is in the country on a three-day
State visit, toured the Brookside plant Thursday “to learn from Kenya’s
dairy experience and transfer the same to Nigeria.”
“I am here with my minister for Agriculture so that
we can learn the achievements of Brookside for us to borrow a leaf from
it,” said Mr Buhari.
The Nigerian President said he had instructed his minister of agriculture to start making plans on how to build a milk processing plant in Nigeria, saying that he would present a budget for the same in the coming financial year.
The Nigerian President said he had instructed his minister of agriculture to start making plans on how to build a milk processing plant in Nigeria, saying that he would present a budget for the same in the coming financial year.
Nigeria largely relies on milk imports for its supplies.
Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote in 2014 said he
would establish a dairy plant in Kenya aiming to boost milk supplies in
Nigeria.
Sani Dangote, the brother to Aliko and
vice-president of the Dangote Group, said the firm would put up a
processor that would produce powdered milk, commonly known as a dry
plant, to feed export markets, especially Nigeria.
The Dangote Group is currently importing more than
4,000 tonnes of powdered milk per month for the Nigerian market from
Europe worth an equivalent of Sh105 million.
“Nigerians consume a lot of powder milk more than
any other milk product. It is because of this that we would like to
start a drying plant here to tap the ready market back at home,” said Mr
Dangote in an earlier interview.
In 2014, the Nigeria chamber of commerce had announced that Brookside Dairy was planning to open shop in the West Africa nation.
Brookside has a 45 per cent share of the market in Kenya.
Brookside has a 45 per cent share of the market in Kenya.
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