DIARY farmers in Kitwe have bemoaned the low milk price at which processors are buying the commodity.
The farmers complained that milk processors are buying milk at as low as K9 per litre despite the increase in the production cost imputs.
In an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe, Kwanshama Dairy Cooperative Artificial Insemination Technician Simon Mulenga said the farmers would like raw milk to be priced at K13 or K15 per litre from the current K9 per litre.
“Due to the drought that we experienced, the cost of feed and other inputs have gone up but we are still selling the milk to the off-takers at K9 per litre, yet the processed milk on the market has increased to K30 per litre in the past one year from the previous K22 in most stores,” he said.
And Mr Mulenga said the cooperative has recorded a drop in milk collections due to the severe drought which the country experienced during the last rain season.
He said the cooperative is collecting 400 litres of milk per day from the initial 700 litres due to effects of the droughts.
He explained that dairy farmers take their milk to Kamfinsa, where there is only one milk collection point.
Mr Mulenga appealed to the Government to help the farmers with subsidised maize bran and boreholes, to enable the animals to have sufficient good food and water for drinking.
Mr Mulenga said the dairy cooperative comprises five cooperatives that supply milk to Kamfinsa collection centre.
He said in terms of animal ownership, on average a dairy farmer has about three animals.
Meanwhile, Cooperative Chairperson Venacio Banda bemoaned the high cost of semen used in artificial insemination.
Mr Banda said a straw of semen is fetching between K180 to K1,500, which he said is too costly for small-scale farmers.