Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe has issued a strong warning to Kenya’s dairy sector, saying the country risks losing lucrative export opportunities unless aflatoxin contamination in animal feeds is urgently addressed.
Speaking at the official opening of the 17th African Dairy Conference and Exhibition (AFDA17) in Nairobi, Kagwe said contaminated maize feeds were directly affecting milk quality and damaging Kenya’s credibility in international markets.
“No export without quality. Aflatoxin in maize feeds passes straight into milk and locks us out of lucrative markets,” Kagwe stated at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
To address the issue, the Government will soon roll out a Good Quality Milk Certification Programme, setting clear hygiene and safety benchmarks across the dairy value chain. Under the new system, farmers who deliver clean, safe milk will earn higher payments, while those supplying substandard milk will face reduced earnings.
“It cannot be the same amount for bad and good. Those who produce better will earn better,” Kagwe said.
The CS urged feed manufacturers and maize producers to adopt Aflasafe, a biological product proven to suppress aflatoxin contamination. He challenged the feed industry to embrace strict standards, saying this was the only way to guarantee safe milk for Kenyans and maintain competitiveness in global markets.
Kenya produced 5.3 billion litres of milk in 2024, but the Government targets 10 billion litres under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). Kagwe stressed that hitting this goal depends on addressing aflatoxin, cutting feed costs, improving cattle breeds, and rewarding quality-focused farmers.
Looking beyond Kenya, the CS called for African countries to harmonise dairy standards under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), arguing that Africa should reduce reliance on imported milk powders and instead build regional competitiveness.
“Africa can feed itself, and it can also export. But that will only happen if we focus on quality, competitiveness, and collaboration,” he concluded.
