Tassmatt, Author at milkatmkenya.com

Aug 22 2022

Why queues at milk ATM dispensers are growing in Kenya

Sale of milk across the country has gone high-tech with the introduction of vending machines in urban centres that dispense milk just like money from an Automated Teller Machine.

Many supermarkets and outlets have acquired the equipment, which has seen consumers slowly drift away from purchasing packaged milk.

This has come as a relief for thousands of milk vendors who have, for years, been exploited by middlemen as they can now sell the produce directly to those who own vending machines.

At the same time, the fact that packaging cost is not factored, allows consumers to purchase the product at a cheaper price.

Sold by Tassmatt Agencies Limited, the company authorized to manufacture and assemble the best milk atm machines in Kenya, you can contact 0726410068 to place an order

The equipment allows users to purchase milk by depositing money — in coin form — and in turn receive varied milk quantities directly from the dispenser.

Moses Mwangi an attendant at Tuskys Supermarket in Nairobi, says most customers prefer to buy milk directly from the dispenser.

The supermarket, he says, sells up to 1,500 litres of milk per day. The product is purchased directly from contracted farmers.

Most outlets sell a litre of the milk at Sh65 compared to Sh100 for packaged milk. “Apart from the fact that it’s cheaper, consumers like the product because it is sourced directly from farmers,” Mwangi says. The Sh7 million machine holds up to 2,000 litres of milk.

For large outlets like supermarkets, consumers are required to pay at the counter before the attendant dispenses the required quantity of milk. One can either buy a new container or use their own container to carry the product.

Hilda Githaiga, who has been purchasing milk from the ATM says besides being cheap, it is always fresh.

“I buy in large quantities and keep in my fridge for about a week. Purchasing directly from the dispenser is cheaper and you can always be sure of quality. I can’t remember the last time I bought packaged milk,” Githaiga says.

Margaret Oyando says: “I love the fact that I can drink the milk without having to boil it.”

An attendant at the Naivas Supermarket, Mountain Mall branch in Nairobi, Paul Mtunya, says their machine holds about 1,000 litres.

He points out that the introduction of the dispenser has since posed competition to other processors who supply packaged milk.

“More people prefer buying milk directly from the dispenser because it is cheaper and you get value for money,” he said.

Nakumatt Supermarket has not been left out and most branches have installed the dispenser as well.

Returns on milk atm vending machine are enormous

“We cannot miss milk in this milk atm machine on a daily basis. We have been watching the market over a long time, and we now understand what they need. We will be moving to other branches very soon,” says Alfred Wesonga, an attendant.

Naivas Supermarkets sell a litre of milk at Sh65 while half a litre retails at Sh33. The same product at Uchumi and Nakumatt supermarkets costs Sh60.

Charles Boit, a businessman based in Eldoret, launched the initiative a year ago and says the returns are enormous. He reveals that he sells at least 1,000 litres of milk everyday and the demand has been growing. Boit sells a litre of milk at Sh60, which means on a daily basis, he earns Sh60,000 translating to Sh1.8 million monthly.

Ordinarily, milk is pumped directly from the farm to the coolers where it is pasteurised before being stored in the dispenser. Boit plans to set up another milk dispenser within the town and buy milk from farmers in the region.

“Our goal is to eliminate hawkers who frustrate consumers by selling low quality milk at high prices. We want to reach consumers at the comfort of their homes,” Boit said.

He says, “I was inspired to start the project because customers are looking for pasteurised fresh whole milk at a reasonable price since milk has, over the years, become very expensive.”

The fact that the machines have inbuilt boiling and pasteurisation compartments automatically meets the safety requirements of Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) – the sole regulator in the country.

Last year, KDB banned milk hawking as a quality and safety measure as well as to protect investors who own processing plants and have spent money on distribution systems.

However, there are still a number of milk hawkers upcountry who continue to exploit consumers.

The price of milk has been on the rise, a factor that has been attributed to increasing demand and changing weather patterns that influence production.

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Aug 13 2022

A milk ATM Vending machine dispatch to Kericho town

We promised to document on milk ATM machine distributions to our customers within and outside Kenya, today we had a pleasure to install and commission a milk vending ATM at one of our repeat customers shop in Kericho.

This shows how the demand and reliability of Tassmatt Agencies Limited ATM Machines. The customer, Bregeds Solution is now set to maximise its income from the newly installed machine.

“Tassmatt has been there for us, especially when i needed the KEBS and KRA permits from the first machine, they were of really help as they were able to assist on the flow process from the beginning to end” Said Mr Lagat to Farmers Trend Journalist

Our Milk ATM dispensers are convenient for vending milk in shop or a supermarket. We manufacture the dispensers of different carrying capacity as per the customer’s needs and preference. Tassmatt Milk ATM manufacturer in Kenya,

We also do branding of the dispensers as per the client’s descriptions where needed.

Functionality of our milk ATM dispensers :

Record total daily sales.
Take volume of the milk that is fed into the dispenser and the remaining volume after sales.
Track sales via short message
Have self cleaning menu
Have user protection security (enhanced security via user password).

The milk dispenser, commonly called milk ATM is the main machine required for business promise good profit. Milk ATM come in varying sizes and designs– portable and wall – such as 150, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 200 and even 1,000 litres. As a result, they are refrigerated to preserve milk and can dispense any denomination of milk in 100ml units.

Milk Machine (ATM) essentially allows a consumer to buy milk for any amount of money they have eliminating the need for packaging and knocks off middlemen from the daily value . This has the end result of making the product more affordable and also create good profit to the owner.

Give us a call today 0726-410068

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Aug 10 2022

Happy free delivery and Installation of milk ATM to another Nairobi Customer

Nairobi customer today has a new type of milk atm vending machine – these ones distribute milk, so much so James, a shop owner, has stoped selling package milk and has switched to selling milk from a vending machine bought at Tassmatt Agencies Limited.

Shopkeepers prefer them because they are easy to use, maintain and uses low power.

The emergence of Milk ATMs in Kenya is also helping farmers improve their profits.The milk is delivered to the milk ATMs where the retailers sell the milk to buyers.

When a customer arrives at the shop, the owner just keys in the amount that the buyer wants and the ATM automatically dispenses the milk.

“The advantages of this Milk ATM machine is; one it is easy to maintain and it is very fast to serve customers and thirdly when you store milk behind it, it is ever (always) fresh so that the customer can drink directly. It comes from the farm and if it is the amount you can measure from as low as 10 shillings.” explained James.

People prefer products from the Milk ATM machine simply because they are cheaper. Sophia Ali who has been using Tassmatt Milk Atm, has been using milk from these machines for over two years.

“The milk from the ATM is very reliable because one litre of milk from the ATM is Ksh 60($0.60) compared with milk from the shop which is Ksh 55 which is 500ml which per litre is Ksh120 so it is more cheaper and when you cook tea with this milk from the ATM is actually the best because it has no preservatives it has no additives, it has nothing even it is not diluted. So you can make even more tea with that one litre of milk which is Ksh 60 compared with the milk from the shop which is Ksh120.”

The milk ATMs could pose a health risk, since the hygienic conditions of the containers in which it is collected, transported and sold don’t necessarily meet the standards laid out by the Kenya Dairy Board act.

Despite the convenience provided by the ATMs for farmers, shopkeepers and customers, food safety needs to be observed, cautions Martin Njagi, quality assurance officer, Limuru Dairy farmers cooperative society:

“Now, you find that many of the farmers, especially here in Kenya, they have not yet adopted the food-grade materials so they end up using the plastic handling containers that are not hygienic at all and you cannot be able to guarantee their hygiene because one thing you cannot be able to clean them sufficiently, using even hot water and even other detergents.”

Automated Vending Machines are popping up all over Kenya.The ATMs sell a variety of products from milk to cooking oil to water.

Give us a call to order 0726410068

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Aug 6 2022

Expanding Opportunity Through Purchase Of Milk Vending ATM In Nairobi

Milk ATMs popularity in Nairobi is increasing every day, with demand for quality service at an affordable rate of milk purchase, consumers have given a positive feedback.

Today we delivered a milk atm machine and salad oil atm machine to a happy client in Nairobi who purchased to expand his business.

We assisted him on obtaining the best machine, application of KRA Licenses, Kebs and sourcing of milk, apart from that, we installed and trained the staff on how to operate.

This milk atm machines by Tassmatt Agencies Limited have inbuilt milk coolers and are self cleaning with less power consumption.

To buy a milk atm machine today in Kenya, contact Tassmatt via 0726410068

We are accredited manufacturers and distributors of milk atm machines in Kenya with a 5-star rating on google, pay us a visit at our showroom today. call 0726410068

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Jul 24 2022

How to check quality of milk after buying from the ATM

The shift from buying milk sold in plastic containers to that distributed through Anytime Milk Machines (ATM) has been lauded as a milk retailing innovation in the country.

The ATMs have enabled consumers to buy quality and safe milk. However, while this is true to a large extent, studies have shown that milk adulteration, bacterial contamination and chemical preservatives are also present in ATM milk.

A recent study on milk ATMs showed 55.3 per cent, 18.4 per cent, 23.7 per cent, 6.3 per cent and 7.6 per cent of milk sampled from various ATMs had not complied with the set standards for solids, total viable bacterial count, total coliform counts, hydrogen peroxide and presence of antibiotics respectively.

In yet another study, 55 per cent of the sampled milk from ATMs in one city had hydrogen peroxide while 23 per cent had bacterial contamination.

Buyers should, therefore, strive to double-check the quality and safety of milk purchased for various reasons, which include sensitivity of the target consumer such as babies, the need to get a constant supplier, to be sure and health implications of contaminated milk.

Milk ATMs

The milk vending machines are used for dispensing pasteurised and homogenised milk starting from 200ml. They are made of materials that are approved to handle food and have a refrigerated system that ensures milk is stored at 4OC.

The safety and quality assurance of milk from ATMs, coupled with their ability to dispense required amounts of milk, preservation ability, fair price as compared to packaged milk, record-keeping by the machine and the prior processing of raw milk has led to exponential growth of the technology. By the beginning of 2018, 500 ATMs had been registered across the country.

Milk sold through the machines can get contaminated/adulterated by physical materials (dirt or dust), chemicals (preservatives like hydrogen peroxide) and drug residues. Factors that contribute to milk contamination include the fluid nature of the product that allows it to mix easily with other substances like water, greed, demand and supply gap, which leads to addition of water to increase the volume, perishable nature of milk that leads to addition of chemical preservatives, low purchasing power of some consumers who insist on lowered prices forcing traders to add cheaper substances, weak legal/standard enforcement, and unavailability of milk testing laboratories.

Contamination/adulteration

Milk adulteration is the deliberate addition of substances that affect the quality and safety of milk while contamination might not be intentional. Some of the common milk adulterants include hydrogen peroxide (for milk preservation and prolonging of shelf-life) and water (for extending the volume) while bacterial contamination occurs before milking through infection of the udder (mastitis) or after milking.

Simple tests to detect milk adulteration/contamination

Although these tests can be used for any milk, the ATM milk is overemphasised here due to the rapid expansion of the technology. Test strips and lactometer used for these tests are available in agrovet shops, with the former retailing at less than Sh150 while the latter at Sh500. The latter is a long term use tool.

General milk adulteration examination:

1. Put a drop of milk on a polished vertical surface/wall. If it stops or flows slowly, leaving a white trail behind, then it is of good quality. Milk contaminated with water flows faster.

2. Boil a glass of milk on low heat while stirring it with a spoon until all the water evaporates. If the resulting solid is oily, then it is pure milk. If it is rock solid, most likely the milk had been adulterated.

Hydrogen peroxide

Dip a hydrogen peroxide test strip in a teaspoonful of milk. Colour change, for example, in the Quantofix paper from white to blue is an indication of hydrogen peroxide in the milk.

Water addition

Dip a lactometer in a glass of milk and check the reading. Most lactometers indicate whether a quarter, half or more water has been added. Density of pure milk is 1.028g/ml-1.036 g/ml (28-32 on the lactometer).

Mastitis/microbial contamination

Put a drop of milk on the test spot of a mastitis indicator paper. Colour change for example yellow to green for Kerbl paper is an indication of mastitis.

Packaged/powdered/UHT Milk

Smell, taste and appearance play a role in detection of the above substances but one should have used them previously to be able to identify them

Dr Mwirigi is a livestock production specialist.rivavet@yahoo.com

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Jul 24 2022

Limitation and opportunities of the automatic milk ATM dispensing machines

Packaged milk is not very popular with consumers, particularly because of its high cost as compared to raw produce or that sold through vending machines.

However, there are many factors that now favour packaged milk enhancing its competitiveness in the market.

These include the limitation and opportunities of the automatic milk dispensing machine, expanded market, availability of processing capacity and advances in packaging technology.

Limitations of the automatic milk dispensing machines

The milk vending machines popularly known as ATMs are an innovation that raised consumer confidence in produce that is not packaged.

The milk is popular because of its low price (about half that of packaged milk), constant availability, traceability and absence of odour found in some forms of packaged milk.

Other motivations include the fact that the milk is homogenised (thus fat globules are evenly distributed) and

it is pasteurised. The heat treatment reduces the level of micro-organisms that cause diseases and spoilage to acceptable levels, thus converting the raw milk to a ready-to-take drink. Further, milk ATM business is easy to start and operate hence attracting a wide range of investors that include retail shops, farms, cooperative societies, self-help groups, supermarkets and milk bars. Certainly, the milk ATM is a game changer in milk marketing. However, recent studies have shown that in future, consumer might shift to packaged milk.

One study that explored the consumer perception of produce sold through ATMs showed that the general consumer imagination is that such milk is safer than raw and is as safe as that which is packaged. However, field observations on the same issue displayed evidence of intentional non-compliant behaviour that exposes consumers to serious health hazards.

This include sale of raw milk contrary to the regulatory requirement of pasteurised produce. Contributing factors to this scenario include the high cost of servicing the ATMs, coupled with costly licensing fees (58.4 per cent and 24 per cent respectively of the operating costs) and negligence.

Irregular electricity supply contributes to inadequate milk cooling enhancing its spoilage. The research thus concluded that the ATM milk retailing does not guarantee quality and safety to consumers. It is thus recommended that the milk is boiled to enhance safety.

Adulteration of milk with chemicals, water and other ingredients has also been identified as a malpractice in the trade especially when the milk is not sold. Instead, it is stored and dispensed from aluminum milk cans that are placed inside an ATM to improve consumer confidence. These safety and quality regulation concerns are endearing the consumer to packaged milk.

Another issue with the ATMs is that the technology is projected to grow at a steady rate and could hit a saturation point sooner. The growth curve of the business that started in 2005 will thus flatten, making it unable to handle increased milk whose production is projected to surge from the 5.2 billion litres in 2019 to 12 billion litres per annum by 2030.

Although homogenisation has been a plus for the ATMs, consumer preference is changing to fat-free milk (skimmed), or standardised milk with known quantities of fat.

Importation of ATM machines is falling and they are being replaced by locally fabricated ones with some imported components. Concerns around the locally assembled machines include their compliance with food safety specifications, calibration accuracy, automation and flow sensors and monitors of required parameters such as temperature. This raises fears especially when regulatory gaps such as in licensing have been observed.

For example, the 2019 study by Tassmatt that examined Milk ATMs in highly populated areas of Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kajiado, Machakos and Uasin Gishu found out of the 162 sampled, 24 per cent of them had not been registered by the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB), the regulatory agent.

ATM opportunities

It is projected that ATMs will have a countrywide distribution thus the marketing infrastructure that has the premises, personnel and cooling equipment should be taken advantage of to sell packaged milk as well. However, ATMs’ milk competitive prices will always prevail as long as the consumer is assured of its quality and safety.

Counties involvement

County governments in high dairy potential areas have in the recent past promoted dairy through artificial insemination (AI) and milk preservation through distribution of coolers to organised farmer groups.
By 2019, over 500 coolers had been issued out. AI leads to increased milk production through improved breeds while coolers reduce post-harvest spoilage.

The involvement of county governments is made easy by the presence of regulations such the 2013 National Dairy Development Policy that aims at promoting milk processing and exportation, among many other intentions. Other policy incentives include tax rebates on new investments such as zero-rating of milk processing inputs and making it illegal to hawk raw milk.

recommended milk atms in Kenya are sold by tassmatt agencie limited 0726-410068

Expanded market

Although at times there is influx of milk from neighbouring countries like Uganda, the competitiveness of Kenya’s dairy sector is superior in the region. For example, a 2019 annual milk production report gave production figures of 5.2 billion litres (Kenya), 2.2 billion (Uganda), 2.5 billion (Tanzania) and 4.6 billion (Sudan). Milk packaging increases its shelf-life hence expansion of the export market. The regional integration and cross-border trade among the seven East Africa Community member countries, therefore, offers a good outlet for packaged milk.

Processing capacity

Milk processing experienced a drawback in 1990s when the publicly owned Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) collapsed. However, this attracted the private sector into the industry. In 2019, there were 29 licensed milk processors and 67 dairies with a processing capacity of 3.75 million litres per day, which is approximately 46 per cent of the capacity that was there in 2018.

Advances in processing and packaging technologies

In the recent past, advances in milk processing and packaging technologies have improved the quality, safety and shelf-life of fluid milk, thus making packaged milk affordable to the consumer. The innovations are in separation, standardisation of milk fat, pasteurisation, homogenisation and packaging. For example, the current centrifugation equipment for separation of milk constituents has the ability to self-clean of any dirt and sludge with minimal loss of milk.

Standardisation involves online rapid analysis of milk fat with automated feedback adjustments so that the fat content is maintained at the desired levels, plate pasteurisation has led to 94 per cent recovery of heat thus saving on energy cost and environmental pollution which comes about with energy production and milk pasteurisation machines can now produce as much as 200,000 litres per hour. Over the years, milk packaging has shifted from cans to glass and plastic bottles, to paperboard coated with polyethylene and to the milk pouch now common in the market.

#MilkATMdispensingMachine #MilkATMS, milkATMSkENYA

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Jul 12 2022

Milk ATMs And Milk Pasteurizer Lifts Chamaa Group Fortunes In Meru

For years, farmers in Charuru, Muthara ward of Meru County, relied on tea and coffee, offering little attention to dairy farming.

A majority reared two cows at most for their subsistence and sold the surplus milk to vendors often for as low as Sh30 a litre.

The farmers would always complain and one of their own, Gertrude Imaana, sought to change the tide.

Living and working in Canada where dairy farming is a huge enterprise, Gertrude knew the farmers in her village were sitting on gold and only needed help to actualise their potential.

She started by organising them into a group of 15 members in 2016, and helped them come up with guidelines on how to manage the outfit.

This included electing officials, drafting a constitution, laying down penalties for members who miss meetings or fail to honour their financial obligations.

Members agreed to contribute Sh6,500 as registration fee and remit Sh300 each month, allowing farmers to take loans from the pool.

“We started by collecting the little milk produced and selling locally at Sh50 a litre but we soon discovered a huge demand of the produce in the nearby market centre named Muriri. Each farmer was contributing two to three litres raising up to 70 litres,” recounts Gertrude, who holds a Masters in Education degree.

The group later established five collection points to ensure efficiency in milk delivery, with the number of farmers joining the outfit named Chatime Jabali Group growing to 30.

To avoid adulteration and ensure quality milk, an alcohol test is conducted at the collection centre every time milk is delivered.

Farmers are also advised to observe hygiene practices by ensuring that their milk containers are clean, disinfected, sterilised and dried in the sun.

The farmers are further asked to keep milk awaiting transportation in a shade or in a well-ventilated room. Under warm climate, bacteria in milk grows quickly.

“With the number of milk having surged, we established three selling points; two in Muriri and one in Charuru and bought two small freezers at Sh100,000 from our savings to ensure that the milk is cooled and maintained at temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius,” says Morris Mutuma, the group’s treasurer.

But even with two freezers, Mutuma explains they further acquired a pasteurising machine as milk is highly perishable and can pass pathogens that produce diseases to humans.

DOING AWAY WITH MIDDLEMEN

In September last year, the group achieved a milestone by buying the pasteuriser and a milk ATM, each with a capacity of 200 litres at Sh600,000 — money from their savings, making it the first vendor in the region to pasteurise their milk.

“Pasteurisation is an effective method of killing bacteria in milk and does not reduce its nutritional value making it safer for human consumption,” says Gertrude, who is the chairperson of the group and keeps four cows.

The milk vending machine has helped them actualise their dream of doing away with the middlemen and selling their milk directly to the consumer.

“We are not only able to offer milk in the friendliest and hygienic way, but also we are in a position to preserve the milk in an optimal way while maintaining the flavour and selling to our customers at Sh60 a litre or in any quantity they want. Customers who buy more than 20 litres enjoy a discount of Sh10.”

To mitigate the challenge of getting semen, the group has acquired an eight-litre straw semen tank worth Sh60,000 where they store the product and farmers easily access it.

They buy the semen from Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre (KAGRC) based in Nairobi, with the institution supplying the product in the region.

“Breeding was a big challenge since sometimes the semen was collected from poor quality bulls, freezing was also poor due to lack of facilities coupled by poor skills by some extension officers. Limited access to veterinary services further affected productivity resulting to breeding problems to farmers,” Gertrude explains.

She says the group, which is currently competing with the big boys in the region, is transitioning into a co-operative and they plan to also start manufacturing their own feeds.

Some of the milk processors working in Meru are Giant Meru Union, Brookside and New KCC.

“My being away does not cause any vacuum because the treasurer and the secretary manage the group. We also hold meetings by teleconferencing and we have a WhatsApp group,” she says, noting farmers are paid weekly for deliveries.

Romano Kithiki, a member of the group, says initially he had one animal, earning an average Sh3,000 per month but today his earnings have risen five-fold as he has three cows.

Mary Ng’ang’a, a quality trainer with Policy and Market, explains that if farmers take too long to deliver milk to the collecting centre, bacteria multiplication starts as the natural enzyme that preserves milk — lacto peroxides — is only active in the first two hours.

“If the process of collecting, grading and transportation takes more than two hours, bacteria multiplication starts even before the milk gets to the cooling and processing unit forcing it to precipitate, thus, compromising quality.”

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Challenges

Dairy production faces a number of challenges that affect quality and quantity of milk.
These include limited availability of quality and affordable feeds, inadequate infrastructure including access roads and milk cooling facilities and limited extension services.
There is also low value addition to absorb surpluses during glut, and limited access to markets and market information.
Through groups, however, some of the problems can be surmounted.

#MilkATM #MilkPasteurizer #MilkATMKenya #MilkPasteurizerKenya #MilkCooler #MilkCoolersKenya

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Jun 26 2022

Where To Purchase Milk ATM For Your Business In Nairobi

I am thinking of purchasing a milk ATM for business in Nairobi.

I need to know whether I can get one locally or must I import?

The Any Time Milk machine allows customers room to purchase milk from a mechanised nozzle in containers, saving them extra costs of branded packaging materials.

The milk ATMs are of different types; there is one which can be used in farms and raw milk gets pasteurised then moves to the nozzle without coming in contact with anyone.

The other automatic vending machines resemble ones used in supermarkets, and are not as highly expensive.

For arrangements to acquire one, please get in touch with Tassmatt Agencies Limited via 0726-410068

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Jun 26 2022

How Milk Dispensing ATMs By Tassmatt At Supermarkets Are Giving Processors Sleepless Nights

Sale of milk across the country has gone high-tech with the introduction of vending machines in urban centres that dispense milk just like money from an Automated Teller Machine.

Many supermarkets and outlets have acquired the equipment, which has seen consumers slowly drift away from purchasing packaged milk.

This has come as a relief for thousands of milk vendors who have, for years, been exploited by middlemen as they can now sell the produce directly to those who own vending machines.