Nabiswa Patrick Koyi, Jacob W. Wakhungu and Donald N. Siamba
Kibabii University 1st International Conference; June 22-24,2016
Abstract
Food security is the first of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which sought to
eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by the year 2015, and second of the recently United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are aimed at finishing the job of the MDGs, and bring everyone on board the Sustainable development vehicle. The study investigated the key value chain actors in the dairy sector in Bungoma County. This study was anchored on Porter’s Value Chain theory. The study adopted cross-sectional research design. Target population consisted of thirteen (13) Dairy Cooperative Societies with a total membership of 10,062 livestock farmers, eight (8) Livestock Officers from the eight (8) sub- counties and thirteen (13) managers of Dairy Cooperative Societies and other licensed milk vendors. The study used semi-structured questionnaires, key informant interview schedules, focus group discussion and observation schedules to collect primary data. A Pilot study was carried out using one (1) Managers of the Dairy Cooperative Society, 12 Livestock Farmers, three (3) Cooperative Officers and four (4) Livestock Officers from Kimilili Sub-County and then data analyzed using Cronbach alpha method which yielded an alpha value of 0.824. Validity of research instruments was tested using content, construct and face validity. The data obtained was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented in frequency tables, pie charts and bar graphs. The study found out the key value chain actors in the dairy value chain in Bungoma County to include the livestock farmers, livestock officers, managers of dairy cooperative societies, veterinary officers, public health officers, licensed milk vendors, dairy farmers, product consumers, county trade and industry officials, banks, microfinance institutions and insurance companies, transporters, NGOs, dairy input suppliers, quality standards officers (KEBS), Kenya Dairy Board and animal feed producers among others. Each of these actors play a very integral role in the dairy value chain, though their varied capacities to fully transform the dairy value chain were found inadequate. It was concluded that transformation of the dairy value chain for food security and sustainable development in Bungoma County was not possible without these key plays. It was recommended that for the key players to be effective and efficient in their operations there was need to develop and implement relevant policies towards transformation of the dairy value chain for food security and sustainable development in Bungoma County. These findings will be vital to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, and other policy makers in enforcing measures for achieving food security in Bungoma County, Kenya and Africa as a whole, and creation of new knowledge in transformation of the dairy value chain for sustainable development.
