Rwandans are now able to buy Inyange Industries' first-ever instant whole milk powder, which is now available in 1kg and 500g sachets in retail shops.
One kilo goes for Rwf20,000, according to the food processing company.
The product is manufactured at Inyange’s $54 million milk powder plant in Nyagatare District. The facility has the capacity to process up to 650,000 litres of milk daily — converting 500,000 litres into milk powder and the remainder into UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk.
The new consumer-ready milk powder was officially announced on October 1, marking a new step in Rwanda’s broader push to add value to locally produced milk and reduce reliance on imported dairy products.
James Biseruka, the Managing Director of Inyange Industries, told The New Times that the product was first introduced in some retail outlets to give consumers access before a full public launch. It is now available at locations including Nyarutarama, Sawa Citi, and Kisimenti.
Why Rwf20,000 per kilo?
Biseruka explained that one kilogramme of milk powder is derived from 10 litres of fresh milk, and that was the reason to put the price at Rwf20,000 per kilo.
Inyange currently buys milk from local farmers at Rwf452 per litre, but the final retail price also reflects other expenses, including processing, packaging, electricity, water, operational costs, and margins for distributors and retailers, he explained.
"It’s cheaper compared to all imported milk powders available on the market,” he said.
For example, one 1kg of NIDO, a product of Swiss multinational Nestlé, sells for around Rwf48,000.
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Quality and purity
Biseruka underscored the quality of the locally processed product, saying it is whole milk with no additives.
"Our milk is very good; it’s pure milk. We don’t add anything,” he said.
He pointed out that some manufacturers add flavours or ingredients to change the powder’s colour such as yellow, but Inyange's product remains white.
A shift from industrial to household use
Until recently, Inyange’s milk powder production focused solely on industrial-grade powder, used mainly for reconstituted milk. In August, the company indicated that over the past year, it sold 718 tonnes of this product, 90 per cent of which was exported.
That industrial-grade powder currently sells at about Rwf8,000 per kg, in line with global pricing, as it is traded as a commodity whose prices are set at international markets.
The launch of instant milk powder for household consumption is part of Inyange’s strategy to diversify its products and serve the domestic market.