THE CATALYTIC IMPACT FOR DAIRY SECTOR GROWTH PROJECT IMPLEMENTED - LESSONS FROM EMBU, MERU, NANDI, UASIN GISHU AND ELGEYO MARAKWET COUNTIES
The Catalytic Impact for Dairy Sector Growth Project was a five-year initiative from July 2019 to July 2024, implemented by Heifer International Kenya (HIK) in collaboration with Irish Aid, county governments, and 10 Producer Organizations (POs). This project, valued at approximately €1.5 million, aimed to foster sustainable and inclusive growth in Kenya's dairy sector by supporting farmer-owned dairy agribusinesses. The project was part of the Ireland Kenya Agri-food Strategy (IKAFS), launched by the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya in late 2017, which focuses on dairy, fisheries, and potatoes. The initiative aligns with Ireland’s Policy for International Development "A Better World," aiming to encourage private sector development, reduce humanitarian need, build resilience, respond to climate change, and promote gender equality. The project's overarching goal was to improve living incomes by creating job opportunities for 25,000 households through the growth of farmer cooperatives and youth agribusinesses. The project operated across five counties in Kenya's North Rift and Upper Eastern regions, engaging seven POs in the North Rift and three in the Upper Eastern region implemented in two phases between 2019 and 2022.