Kirima Slopes Dairy Cooperative, a fully farmer-owned society established in 2013, has reached a defining moment in its transformation journey after securing KES 430 million in financing to construct its first dairy processing plant and import high-quality machinery from the Netherlands. This milestone reflects the cooperative’s long-term ambition of achieving full value addition. An ambition strengthened through its partnership with Agriterra.
At Agriterra, we believe in “Sowing Today, Thriving Tomorrow,” and Kirima Slopes is a powerful example of what can happen when farmers organise, strengthen their governance, and invest in their future.
A Strong Farmer-Owned Foundation
With 12,200 registered members and 6,500 actively supplying milk, Kirima Slopes has grown into one of Kirinyaga County’s most vibrant dairy cooperatives. Guided by nine board members, three supervisory committee and supported by 37 staff members, the cooperative has steadily expanded its operations across the county through ten farm supply stores and a milk bar in Mwea town among other towns.
With 100 milk transporters who collect milk from the farmers, Kirima’s daily milk collection has risen from 47,000 litres in 2023 to over 70,000 litres in 2025, reinforcing its position as a leader in dairy production in the region. Kirima collects an average of 12 litres of milk a day from each farmer, which is above the national average of nine litres a day per farmer.
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Partnership with Agriterra: Building Bankable Capacity
Kirima Slopes began its collaboration with Agriterra in 2024 with a clear objective to move from selling raw milk to fully processing and marketing its own milk products. However, access to affordable financing remained a major hurdle.
Agriterra supported the cooperative through:
- Internal Capitalization, helping members invest in their own cooperative
- Business plan development, strengthening investment readiness
- Governance training, reinforcing leadership and farmer participation
- Extension staff support, improving farm-level productivity and loyalty among the farmers of the cooperative
- Organising a benchmarking tour on co-packing at BAMSCOS Cooperative
This process-built credibility, strengthened financial discipline, and gave the cooperative a compelling case to present to financiers. Agriterra’s follow-up with financing institutions further boosted confidence in Kirima Slopes’ vision.
The result is the KES 430million loan, a remarkable achievement grounded in farmer ownership, improved governance, and strategic financial preparation.
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A Leap into Value Addition
Construction of the new processing plant is underway, and the cooperative is now finalising the importation of advanced dairy machinery from the Netherlands, known globally for efficiency and durability in agri-processing technology.
The investment will enable Kirima Slopes to:
- Increase value addition and improve farmer prices
- Reduce reliance on external processors
- Expand product lines beyond raw milk
- Create local employment opportunities for youth and women ensuring inclusivity
- Strengthen market resilience and competitiveness
The processing plant is estimated to be operational in February 2026 with a capacity to process up to 1 million litres of milk a day if well equipped. Â
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A Model of Farmer-Led Growth
The transformation is already visible:
- Farmer loyalty has increased, with more members actively supplying milk
- Youth, including persons with disabilities, have gained employment opportunities
- More women have taken leadership roles, following Agriterra’s governance training
- The cooperative enjoys strong support from the Kirinyaga County Government
Kirima Slopes is becoming a model of what farmer-led institutions can achieve with the right systems, skills, financing and technical assistance.
Voices From the Transformation
Mr. Wachira, Chairman of Kirima Slopes Dairy, expressed the significance of this milestone:
“This financing marks a new dawn for our farmers. For the first time, we are moving from selling raw milk to building a processing plant of our own. This isa dream come true, courtesy of our partners and it is proof that great things happen when cooperatives work together with their farmers.”
Ms. Diana Machariah,Agriterra Advisor, affirmed the cooperative’s progress:
“Kirima Slopes has shown what strong governance, member commitment, and internal capitalization can achieve. I am excited with the progress they have made and I look forward to their continued growth. Well done to their leadership and board members of Kirima Dairy Slopes”
Sowing Today, Thriving Tomorrow
This journey demonstrates the power of strong cooperative governance, farmer investment, and targeted technical support. It reflects Agriterra’s mission to equip cooperatives to take bold steps, build sustainable agribusiness ventures, and transform rural economies.
Kirima Slopes Dairy is not just building a processing plant; it is sowing the seeds of a more prosperous future for thousands of farming households. And together, with commitment, vision, and the right support, we are sowing today so that farmers can thrive tomorrow.
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