Abstract

COVID-19 poses serious threats to humanity and the world’s economy, leading to disruptions of the food supply chain. The dairy processing industry was highly affected because of the perishability of its products and time-sensitivity of both the supply and distribution chain. The study therefore, aimed to assess the effects of COVID-19 containment measures on the supply and distribution of small-scale dairy processors in Nakuru, Nyandarua, and Uasin-Gishu counties, Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used, where a total of 26 small-scale mini-dairies and cottages from the registered and licensed list provided by the Kenya Dairy Board were interviewed using semi-structured questions. Results showed that the primary processed dairy product was pasteurized milk (48%) followed by fermented milk and yoghurt (32%). Before and during COVID-19, there was a significant reduction in the quantity of milk processed by small-scale dairy companies (P<0.05), as well as in the number of employees (P<0.05) causing an increase in the company's processing costs and modification of strategies to continue daily milk collection and distribution. Therefore, policies and measures should occasionally be tightened or loosened depending on the spread of the virus to guarantee the resilience of the dairy supply and distribution chain during pandemic outbreaks.

Key words: COVID-19 pandemic, Food supply chain, Small-scale dairy processors.