Milk processor Brookside Dairy has paid Sh255 million in bonuses to contracted farmers in the half-year to May 2026, rewarding suppliers for milk quality and for surpassing delivery targets under a long-running incentive scheme.

The bonus is a top-up on regular payments for milk delivered to the processor and is designed to promote clean milk production across the value chain by encouraging adherence to quality standards.

Brookside Dairy General Manager for milk procurement Emmanuel Kabaki said the scheme, now in its seventh year, incentivises farmers to invest in better feed and improved on-farm sanitation to reduce milk rejections and raise profitability.

A milk processing plant belonging to Brookside Dairy Limited.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

He said: “The reward scheme is helping build a safer and more competitive dairy sector while ensuring consumers receive high-quality nutritious products.”

Mr Kabaki added that co-operatives are also being strengthened for efficiency and better raw milk yields.

He said beneficiaries are individual farmers and groups that met set quantity and quality targets, with emphasis on protein and butterfat levels rather than volume alone, improving market access locally and abroad.

Mr Kabaki said good animal husbandry helps farmers maximise earnings by reducing rejections and veterinary costs.

He said the payout is expected to encourage fodder conservation for dry seasons and urged farmers to register for the next reward cycle, due in December 2026.

Brookside Dairy has also run capacity-building programmes across key milk sheds to grow supply volumes.

The processor recently organised a benchmarking tour to South Africa for selected farmers to expose them to efficient silage production and sustainable fodder management practices applicable locally.

Brookside said it will continue strengthening farmer partnerships through training, improved pricing structures and sustainability initiatives aimed at boosting productivity, reducing losses and enhancing competitiveness of the country’s dairy industry in regional and global markets.