NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to increase the productivity of the dairy sector to meet growing demand for milk and milk products, the dairy sector regulator said on Thursday.

The Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) said that the demand for dairy products is set to increase as population and incomes expand.

According to the milk regulator, productivity of milk per cow is low at between seven to nine liters per day.

"Improving animal husbandry practices, including dairy cow housing, feeding, healthcare and welfare, will substantially improve the milk sector," KDB said in a statement published in the Standard Newspaper to celebrate the World Milk Day which is celebrated on June 1 every year.

In the next five years, the board targets to increase the volume of processed milk to 1 billion liters annually from the current 600 million liters. Kenya has so far has licensed 28 milk companies to process and market milk.

According to KDB, the industry produces an estimated 5.2 billion liters of raw milk every year with about 45 percent of this is consumed at the household level.