“Maziwa? Pesa!” – Milk is Money, and Uruku Farmers are Cashing In
On August 29th, 2025, something remarkable happened in the heart of Meru County, Kenya. Farmers, staff, and leaders of Uruku Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society gathered on their grounds for a milestone event—the launch of their first-ever strategic plan. Nearly three decades after its founding in 1996, the cooperative is entering a new chapter, one guided by strategy, data, and bold ambition.
The atmosphere was upbeat yet focused. Farmers sat under tents, some with notebooks in hand, as the chairperson, Mr. David Mwenda, walked them through the newly minted 2025–2030 Strategic Plan. This wasn’t just another meeting. This was a turning point—a moment of alignment between farmers, government, financial institutions, and development partners. In attendance were representatives from Meru County’s Department of Cooperative Development, Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union (MCDCU), and AgriGRADE (led by Agriterra).
Their slogan? “Maziwa? Pesa!” Milk is money. And it’s not just a catchy phrase—it’s becoming a lived reality for thousands of smallholder dairy farmers in the region.
How Did They Get Here?
Uruku Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society has quietly been gaining ground in the dairy industry. From collecting 4,254 litres of milk per day in 2020, they jumped to 13,102 litres in 2024—and 15,800 litres per day by mid-2025. That’s a nearly 4x increase in five years. The cooperative now has 1,209 active farmers and is one of the top-performing contributors to MCDCU.
And Meru County itself is no outlier—it’s among the top five milk-producing counties in Kenya. This rise is no coincidence. It reflects years of groundwork: the operationalization of the MCDCU processing plant, targeted support from development partners, and a growing recognition among farmers that dairy isn’t just about subsistence. It’s a business.
The AgriGRADE dairy project in Meru, launched in early 2024, takes a fully data-driven chain approach that works simultaneously from the production side (Agriterra and other local BDS support to cooperative societies) and the market side (by IDH to MDCU). By combining SCOPEinsight assessments with segmentation based on the management maturity level of cooperatives, tailored technical assistance plans are designed to prepare them for growth and financing. Financial institutions like Oikocredit are actively engaged to unlock investment opportunities, ensuring that professionalized cooperatives can sustainably increase milk volumes supplied to MDCU. The standardized data metrics not only enable close monitoring of progress but also make the approach scalable, creating stronger synergies between successive interventions across different projects. The goal is clear: by 2027, milk volumes processed by MDCU should grow by 22%, while the professionalism of dairy cooperatives will improve by 41%.
A Strategic Plan That Doesn’t Sit on a Shelf
Uruku’s new five-year strategy is not some glossy document that gathers dust. It’s a working tool, organized into four strategic pillars:
- Financial Sustainability
- Sustainable Business Model
- Operational Efficiency
- Stakeholder Management
But here’s where it gets interesting—targets have already been broken down to the individual farmer level. Every member has a clear goal: double their milk production. For those who may not meet that target, there’s an alternative: recruit two new active members who produce more milk than you. It’s a smart growth model that’s both inclusive and scalable.
The math is simple. With this strategy, Uruku aims to hit 25,000 litres of milk per day by 2030. And according to county officers and veterinary leads from MCDCU, that number could be achieved even sooner—possibly within just three years.
Incentives That Matter
To fuel the push, the society is putting rewards in place. A key stakeholder has pledged KES 50,000 for the most improved milk supplier by percentage by August 2026. The chairperson added a personal top-up of KES 20,000.
This isn’t just about bragging rights—it’s about signalling that excellence in milk production pays, literally.
Strengthening the Engine: Extension and Operations
With big goals comes the need for stronger support systems. Uruku is overhauling its extension services department. Staff will undergo refresher training, receive new performance targets, and get support to carry out farm-to-farm visits for training and recruitment. Milk quality training at the farm level is also getting a significant investment.
At the same time, farmers expressed a growing interest in improving their herds. The chairperson assured them that through the society’s collaboration with MCDCU, acquiring high-yielding dairy breeds is now within reach.
Behind the scenes, the cooperative is also investing in systems and staffing. Digital transformation is well underway. A recently installed management information system now tracks every litre of milk collected and handles bookkeeping with precision. The FO’s manager and deputy review the books daily to ensure full transparency.
Strong Partners, Stronger Farmers
Uruku has also cultivated strategic relationships with local financial institutions: Times U, Golden Pillar, Capital and Yetu SACCOS, and Equity Bank—all of which showed up for the launch to offer financial products and investment options to the farmers.
And it doesn’t stop there.
AgriGRADE, through Agriterra, will provide the cooperative’s leadership with capacity building in governance, financial management, and member services. A bankable business plan is also in the works. Policy development and SOPs are being prioritized to standardize operations. Coaching and mentorship will be rolled out in 2026 to ensure smooth implementation of all these initiatives.
A Glimpse of the Future
Uruku Dairy’s transformation isn’t just about numbers—it’s about changing the mindset of dairy farmers. The cooperative is laying a foundation for long-term growth, profitability, and sustainability. It’s giving farmers the tools, incentives, and confidence to treat dairy as a business.
The cooperative’s leadership believes—with good reason—that Uruku will produce many millionaires from dairy farming in the coming years.
As the meeting closed and farmers headed back to their homes, the slogan rang in their ears louder than ever:
“Maziwa? Pesa!”
And this time, no one doubted it.