Introduction
Mangu Progressive Dairy Co-operative Society Ltd is a prominent dairy farmers' co-operative society based in Gatundu North Sub-County, Kiambu County. Our catchment area spans the entire Gatundu North, Gatundu South, and parts of Thika Sub-County. Governed by an Annual General Meeting (AGM) as the supreme body, our co-operative is managed by a team of nine management committee members and three supervisory committee members. They oversee a dedicated team comprising a General Manager, Heads of Departments, Section Heads, and other support staff.
Genesis
Mangu Progressive Dairy Co-operative Society Ltd originated from the "Mitero Visionary Development Forum" in November 2014. This community forum was established in Mitero Village, Mangu Location, Gatundu North Sub-County to address socio-economic challenges such as insecurity, illicit brewing, poverty, and high school dropout rates. The forum identified four key thematic areas: Agriculture & Livestock, Education, Health, and Security. The Agriculture & Livestock committee prioritized dairy cow farming, leading to the formation of Mangu Progressive Dairy Farmers Self Help Group in December 2014, initially comprising 23 members (13 males, 10 females).
History & Current Status
In 2015, the group became an active participant in the dairy value chain, earning them a chance for support for mobilization, sensitization, and training under the Agricultural Sector Development Support Program (ASDSP). The group partnered with dairy processors and stakeholders including, collaboration that led to enhanced capacity in clean milk production, fodder conservation, and silage making, resulting in a membership increase to 185 and a daily milk collection of 1,500 liters by the end of 2015.
In 2016, the management of the group decided to transform the group from a selfhelp group in a bid to strengthen the structures for governance and the team started receiving pre-co-operative trainings and in September the same year, the transformation officially happened. Our growth continued with the donation of a 2000-liter milk cooler from the Kiambu County Government in 2016, boosting our daily collection to 3,500 liters. Currently, Mangu Progressive Dairy Co-operative Society Ltd collects an average of 33,000 liters of milk daily from 2,930 active members. The society has 5 active milk bulking and cooling centers
Our success is attributed to adherence to core principles of integrity, honesty, transparency, discipline, and professionalism, winning the trust of dairy farmers across Gatundu North, Thika, and Gatundu South sub-counties.
Business Model
The co-operative collects milk from members through qualified field clerks who conduct thorough tests to ensure high-quality standards. The milk is transported to cooling centers for further quality checks and cooling. It is then sold in bulk to processors and local traders. The society generates income from milk sales, member entry fees, and donations/grants from partners and stakeholders.
