Kenya faces milk shortage as drought and rising feed costs curb supply
A drought-driven drop in pasture and a surge in animal-feed prices have left Kenyan supermarkets with scarce milk, prompting higher prices and rationing.
Kenya's milk market is under pressure as drought has reduced pasture, cutting fresh milk output and driving up animal-feed costs by 45%. Formal deliveries to processors dropped from 84.4 million litres in June to 81.3 million litres in July, with August trends appearing worse. Supermarkets report near-empty chilled sections, higher prices and purchase limits, prompting some consumers to add water to milk or switch to black tea.
The Kenya Dairy Board acknowledges a temporary supply constraint, while the Consumer Federation of Kenya criticises the lack of buffer stocks and urges the government to subsidise feed and monitor retail prices. Agriculture ministry officials met dairy processors, pledging duty-free maize imports for feed and exploring a fund to preserve milk during surpluses, as well as temporary imports from neighboring countries.
Why it matters
Milk is a staple in Kenya; shortages affect daily diets and raise living costs for many households.
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