Protest over Push to Give US Dairy Farmers Unfettered Access into the Kenyan Market
The push to give US dairy farmers unrestricted access into the Kenyan market has attracted opposition from their Kenyan counterparts.
In the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between Kenya and the US, American dairy farmers are seeking to have tariffs imposed on milk exports to the Kenyan market reduced or scrapped.
But Kenyan farmers through the Kenya Dairy Farmers Federation have warned such a move could lead to a possible collapse of milk prices since the country produces enough for local consumption and has a surplus for export.
"Kenya Dairy Farmers Federation encourages business partnerships, but if this is assented to, milk prices will reduce drastically hence destabilizing the industry,” the federation’s CEO Gideon Birgen told Business Daily.
Kenyan farmers were reacting to a letter by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), a lobby for US dairy farmers, to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who is leading the US team in the trade talks with Kenya. In the letter, the lobby argues that Kenya’s restriction on milk imports limits US dairy’s ability to enter the Kenyan market.
Comments
Free Trade Agreement? Free…
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Free Trade Agreement? Free to who ?
Kenya is the size of Texas. (Trade of 50 states against one state). If the Trade Agreement was between Africa which has 53 states against US with 50 states then that would be fair trade. We are inviting 50 US states to flood, crash and destroy the market of a single states.
Why does Kenya need any milk from a foreigner? We are deliberately inviting a fereignor to put a knee on our citizens neck.
We make these unbalanced Trade Agreements with these Western nations then they end up keeping their knee on our neck until we end up as George Floyd or as Shit hole countries.
Kenyans wake up and protect your farmers or join other African countries in trade negotiations if you want to survive.
Dumbest idea of all. Kenya…
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Dumbest idea of all. Kenya will be flooded with milk from the US while Sri lankans, chinese and indians get to export jeans from EPZ where they pay nothing to their employeees and take all profits back to their countries.
On the other hand the oligarchy brookside will be tamed
This should never be a…
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This should never be a discussion. Tariffs should NOT be removed. We seriously need someone with a "Kenya First" mentality or we are doomed.
As long as it’s not milk…
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As long as it’s not milk from China.
China cannot be trusted.
Kenya is about to die. Those…
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Kenya is about to die. Those millions for covid-19, Kenya will drink anti-biotic filled milk. Nkt!
actually this is a brilliant…
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actually this is a brilliant idea, gues who owns brookside???, ease allow US to supply please, we the consumers will benefit and UHuru and his mother will cry
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