KALRO Dairy Research Centre Naivasha is located about 100 km West of Nairobi along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway. The centre serves as the Headquarters of the Dairy Research Institute. KALRO Dairy Research Centre Naivasha has a long history in research and named Animal Husbandry Research Centre until 2013. The centre conducts basic, applied and adaptive research with the objective of developing technologies, innovations and management practices (TIMPs) to enhance dairy productivity, improve quality of life, equity and wealth creation. This is in line with the Kenya Vision 2030 which envisages an agricultural sector that is “innovative, commercially oriented and modern”. The institute activities are streamlined to the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) of the National Government and in line with the KALRO Strategic Plans. The Centre creates linkages with local and international organizations in capacity building and demand-oriented research. The goal is to contribute to the growth of the dairy sub-sector through research, technology transfer and utilization of appropriate and sustainable dairy innovations.
The Dairy Research Institute
The Dairy Research Institute (DRI) is one of the institutes created under the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Act No 17 of 2013 to drive the research under and provide technical support to the dairy sub-sector through generation of appropriate technologies, innovations and management practices. The main focus of the DRI is to develop appropriate sustainable innovations and cost-effective technologies that will enhance productivity in the dairy sub-sub sector, thereby improving quality of life, equity and wealth creation. The institute has three centres located in Naivasha (headquarters), Ol`Joro Orok in Nyandarua and Msabaha in Kilifi counties. The DRI Naivasha is located at 1900 m a.s.l, 0° 43′ South and 36° 26′ East. The climate is semi-arid, with bimodal rainfall pattern and an annual mean of 620mm. The average day and night temperatures are 26oC and 80C, respectively and relative humidity ranges from 60 and 75%. The soils are volcanic (andosol) in origin, dark, sodic and deep. It is slightly alkaline with pH of 7.4. There are other KALRO centres that have had long standing dairy research programmes due to their comparative ecological advantages and currently serve as adaptive satellite sites for targeted dairy technologies testing and transfer.
Vision
A globally competitive dairy industry propelled by science, technology and innovation for improved quality of life.
Mission Statement
To generate and promote dairy knowledge, innovation and technologies that contributes to improved and sustainable productivity, competitiveness and high quality of life.
Mandate
The mandate of the institute is to conduct basic, applied and adaptive research with the objective of developing technologies, innovations and management practices (TIMPs) that will enhance dairy productivity, improving quality of life, enhanced equity and wealth creation. This is in line with the Kenya Vision 2030 which envisages an agricultural sector that is “innovative, commercially oriented and modern”. DRI activities are streamlined to the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) of the national Government and in line with the KALRO Strategic Plan. The institute creates linkages with relevant local and international organizations in capacity building and demand-oriented research.
Lucerne Field Napier-desmodium intercrop Sweet Potato Vines
Institute Objectives
The institute’s objectives are aligned to KALROs strategic objectives. The five core institute objectives are:
- a) To generate and promote technologies, innovations and management practices for demand-driven dairy product value chain.
- b) To develop and promote markets and marketing strategies for dairy product value chain.
- c) To facilitate and advocate policy options for enhancing demand-driven dairy product value-chain.
- d) To strengthen the capacity for implementing dairy product value chain research.
- e) To enhance the availability of knowledge, information and technologies on dairy product value chain research.
Roles
The DRI fundamental role is to carry out research, generate knowledge, innovation and technologies in line with the core functions of the thematic areas. Other DRI
research-related service functions to the public are as listed below:
- Provision of advisory services, technical back-stopping and capacity building to the dairy sector
- Management and maintenance of pasture and fodder germplasm, nucleus dairy breeding herds and semen for dairy stakeholders
- Contribute to quality assurance of dairy technologies developed and services offered to stakeholders
- Promote commercialization of dairy technologies, products and services while catalyzing linkages along the value chains
- Develop and manage dairy research information and knowledge systems for use by dairy stakeholders.
- Build and sustain effective linkages and partnerships with local, regional and international organizations
- Contribute to development of appropriate dairy policies
- Provide expert dairy consultancy services both nationally and regionally
