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Abstract
For over 10 years, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI),
Marsabit Centre, together with stakeholders and community groups
has been conducting research for development on camel milk
technology to develop food security and value added products. This
paper summarises the achievements, lessons learnt and way forward
in this road of camel milk technology development. Results show that
camel milk technology development has undergone various phases,
i.e. research on camel milk production, composition, value addition,
marketing, and technology transfer, and considerable progress has
been made. Various technologies and information packages have
been developed. Farmers/ beneficiaries have adapted some of the
technologies to suit their local conditions. However, sustaining some
of the gains made has been a major challenge. Further research should
focus on the development of milk products with longer shelf life, such
as camel milk powder, and establishing the best technology transfer
model appropriate for pastoralists. There is also need to move from the
small scale businesses to large scale enterprises which can transform
lives, so as to contribute towards the country’s blue-print of becoming
an industrialised country by the year 2030.