Milk value addition refers to the different methods by which dairy products can be added value to increase profit along the value chain.

Many techniques are used to add value to milk. Farmers benefit from value-added products by adding value, increasing their net income. In addition to improving the scale of the economy in the dairy industry, milk value-addition products provide health benefits to consumers.

Prior to the advancement in dairy technology, farmers used to keep a dairy cow only for milk production, but with the introduction of new processing equipment, farmers can now add value to the milk. Selling raw milk alone might be difficult considering milk price fluctuations harm a farmer’s income. Milk can be used to give value to a variety of goods, including yogurt, cheese, ghee, and butter.

Milk value addition can be done by an individual farmer or farmers in a cooperative with a bigger, often more stable, milk supply.

Developing such cottage industries requires a number of factors. These include

• A consistent supply of high-quality milk that can be economically processed;

• Infrastructure to support processing at the farmer, village, and regional levels;

• Organizational support for farmers and farming communities in developing processing skills. Raising awareness on milk value addition.

• Infrastructure for marketing the finished products.

Milk value addition can be done by manufacturing a wide range of processed products. These include:

• Heat-treated liquid drinking milk, such as pasteurization or ultra-high treatment, followed by flavoring or incorporation into other beverages.

• Separating milk fat from other milk solids to make butter, ghee, and skim milk.
• Fermenting milk to make yogurt.
• Fermenting milk to make cheese.
• Using byproducts like skim milk and whey to make ice cream and cheese.

• Adding additives to heated milk to make a range of sweets such as caramel.

• Using cheese in the kitchen to make high-value items like cheesecakes.

Equipment Acquisition.

Once a farmer has settled on the value-added product to manufacture and supply, the next step is to research where to get the milk value addition equipment needed. East Africa, specifically Kenya, has different suppliers for such equipment. When settling on a supplier, you should consider the material used (the Kenya Dairy Board recommends food-grade stainless steel)  the workmanship, the warranty period, and after-sale services provided (that is commissioning and training).

An example of a supplier that ticks the boxes is Techwin Limited. Located in the Industrial area of Nairobi, the company manufactures and supplies dairy equipment enhanced with the most recent technological improvements for milk value addition. They can be reached on +254 743 793 878