As a result of the post-election violence in Kenya, the dairy sector has been severely hit. The effect has come at a time when the country's milk production is on the decline occasioned by dry season which begins in December through to March and April.

The Rift-Valley province which is the Kenya's bread basket was the worst hit. Over 50% of milk in Kenya is produced in the Rift-valley province. The violence paralyzed the transport system in the region hindering collection and transportation of raw milk to processors.

Dairy farmers, led by the Director of the Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers, Mr. Musa Barno, said farmers were experiencing heavy losses because they cannot transport milk to factories and market centers.

"Farmers have incurred losses running into millions of shillings over the last one week and we appeal for peace to enable as start marketing our milk," said Barno.

He said farmers could not even hawk the milk because of the violence and most of it had gone to waste in their homes.

However, a director of the New KCC, the leading milk processor in the country, Mr. Kipkorir Arap Menjo, said only the Eldoret factory was affected. Cooling plants in Kapsabet and Iten had not been affected by the violence.

"Although the Eldoret factory has remained closed, the Kitale factory has been operational all through and farmers in Trans-nzoia have not suffered for long," he said.

The Eldoret factory, which was rehabilitated a few weeks ago, had started processing powder milk for export to North-African countries and the Middle-East.

Losses have been estimated at between 200,000 to 500,000 litres of milk a day. This is equivalent to around $ 63,000 to $ 157,000

In sum, the sector would resume normal production once calm was restored but the farmers might take a long time to restock their herds, which were lost during the upheaval. Currently normalcy can be said to have returned to many parts of the country which were rocked by skirmishes.

ESADA has consequently pushed the dates for the 4th African Dairy conference and Exhibition to August i.e. 6th-8th August, 2008. The venue has also been changed from Hotel Intercontinental and Jamuhuri Park to Safari park hotel where both the conference and the exhibition will take place.