Kenya Eyes Burkina Faso for Cross-Border Dairy Expansion as Part of Broader Intra-Africa Trade and Agribusiness Strategy

In a significant move to expand its agricultural footprint in West Africa, Kenya is reportedly exploring establishing a milk processing plant in Burkina Faso, according to a recent report from SikaFinance. The proposed facility is part of Nairobi’s broader strategy to tap into emerging African markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.

Though details remain sparse, the project signals Kenya’s growing interest in exporting its dairy expertise and products to the West African region. Officials from both countries are in preliminary discussions, with the plant expected to help improve milk collection, processing, and distribution in Burkina Faso, where the dairy sector remains largely informal.

According to Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture, the country has set a target to double dairy exports to over KSh 10 billion (about $77 million) in the next five years. This includes expanding traditional markets like Uganda and Tanzania and breaking into new ones such as Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and now Burkina Faso. Kenya is already a top dairy producer in East Africa, with robust infrastructure, advanced cold-chain systems, and multiple cooperative-based supply models.

On the other hand, Burkina Faso imports a significant portion of its dairy needs, mainly processed milk and powdered products. Although the country produces around 250 million litres of raw milk annually, over 95% of it is processed informally or consumed at the household level. Most recently, the government has made moves to change this by launching Faso Kosam, a state-owned dairy initiative. This includes a new 6,000-litre/day plant in Fada N’Gourma and a smaller Ouagadougou facility to capture more of the domestic supply chain.

If realised, the Kenyan plant would complement these national efforts and potentially provide local farmers with more stable markets and pricing. It would also mark a rare example of South-South investment in agrifood processing. It could open the door to broader trade and technology transfer between East and West African economies.

Kenya’s dairy sector is mature compared to most of Africa. If structured properly, this could be a win-win for both countries. But it will depend heavily on regulatory alignment, access to power, and infrastructure development on the ground.

For now, neither the Kenyan nor the Burkinabè governments have publicly confirmed the timeline or investment structure of the plant. However, stakeholders in the dairy sector across both countries are watching developments closely, hopeful that this cross-continental partnership could signal a new era of African agri-industrial cooperation.

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