The magnitude and causes of milk post-harvest losses in the dairy industry: a case study of Nyeri County, Kenya

This study examines the formal milk marketing channel in Nyeri County, Kenya, to assess the extent of post-harvest losses and their causes. It used both purposive and simple random sampling procedures to select the research area and respondents, respectively. Empirical data was collected in 2021 from 403 producers, 39 transporters, and seven cooperative representatives, through person-person interviews. It was found that approximately 30.4% of milk/household/day is lost post-harvest at the producer level, with spoilage and spillage being 17% and spillage 13.4%, respectively. Losses at the transporter and cooperative levels are minimal. Factors such as lack of market access, low prices, and poor milk handling leading to rejections, significantly increase post-harvest losses at the producer level. For transporters, the main significant factor is distance, due to poor road conditions. The study recommends useful policy measures that would enable producers and transporters reduce post-harvest losses and therefore increase their incomes.