Consumption and preservation of non-marketed camel milk in Kenya

The study “Strategies and technologies for camel milk preservation and utilization of non-marketed milk in arid and semi-arid areas” (2017, 24pp) by Jackline Ogolla et al was published in the East African Agricultural and Forestry Journal. It explores seasonal fluctuations in yield, consumption and wastage of camel milk, the forms in which it is consumed and ways to preserve it. Quantitative data was collected from over 200 producers, traders and transporters through questionnaires and qualitative data through participant observation, key informant interviews and focus group discussions.

Camel milk handling, preservation and marketing are entirely the
women’s responsibility. In a pastoralist household, the animals belong to the man but the milk is the property of the woman, who uses it to meet the subsistence needs of the household. Non-marketed camel milk was often consumed smoked, boiled or in tea, but much milk could not be consumed or sold and had to be discarded during seasons of high yield. The main strategies to reduce milk losses were applying hygienic practices, smoking the milk containers and, to a lesser extent, simple cooling. Refrigeration of the milk incurs high costs and the technical feasibility is limited in remote arid and semi-arid areas. The authors see a need for appropriate milk-preservation technologies so that camel milk can be stored for a longer period of time, e.g. using solar energy to make milk powder, which is acceptable to the local actors in the value chain because the powder can be easily transported.

Posted on 3 March 2018 in Pastoralism & Marketing, Pastoralism, Gender & Youth, Pastoralist Livelihoods & Nutrition