The government is seeking more investment in animal feed production as Rwanda struggles to meet the growing demand from its expanding livestock sector, with the country requiring an estimated 15.9 million metric tonnes of feed annually.

Officials say the huge supply gap is undermining livestock productivity, driving up production costs, and limiting the growth of industries such as poultry, pig farming, dairy, and aquaculture.

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According to Ronald Kabagambe, an Investment Marketing Analyst at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Rwanda&039;s existing animal feed manufacturers have a combined annual production capacity of just 163,000 tonnes—far below the country's estimated annual requirement.

"Establishing more animal feed manufacturing plants, particularly in districts such as Bugesera, will help boost livestock production and agricultural output," Kabagambe said.

Rwanda's livestock population includes about 1.6 million cattle, 1.2 million pigs, and 6.3 million poultry, making the sector an important contributor to food security, nutrition, employment, and economic growth.

Farmers feeling the pinch

Livestock farmers say the shortage of affordable, high-quality feed continues to erode profitability.

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Jean-Claude Shirimpumu, chairperson of the Rwanda Pig Farmers&039; Association, said limited local production of key raw materials, especially maize, remains one of the sector's biggest challenges.

Rwanda produces more than 450,000 tonnes of maize annually, yet demand for both human consumption and animal feed exceeds 850,000 tonnes, creating a shortfall of nearly 500,000 tonnes.

The shortage has forced many feed manufacturers to operate below half of their installed capacity while relying on expensive imported raw materials.

"As a result, the price of pig feed has risen from about Rwf285 to Rwf600 per kilogramme over the past few years. Besides being expensive, some feeds are also of poor quality. Farmers need both affordable and quality feed," Shirimpumu said.

He added that many farmers have resorted to mixing their own feed, although the quality is often inconsistent.

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Poor-quality feed directly affects livestock productivity, he noted, with pigs gaining less weight and laying hens producing significantly fewer eggs than expected.

Feed producers constrained by raw material shortages

Jean Marie Vianney Nsabimana, a member of a poultry farming and animal feed production cooperative in Gisagara District, said his cooperative has the capacity to produce one tonne of feed per hour but cannot operate at full capacity because maize, soybean and sunflower remain scarce.

Fish farmers face similar challenges.

Eline Nyirandagijimana, manager of Gishanda Fish Farm, said specialised broodstock feed is largely imported from countries including Kenya, Egypt, France and Vietnam, making it costly and difficult to access.

She said broodstock feed imported from Kenya costs around Rwf2,300 per kilogramme, excluding transport costs, while shrimp feed sells for about Rwf4,500 per kilogramme.

Because suppliers often require minimum orders of more than three tonnes, many small-scale farmers cannot afford imports and instead settle for lower-quality alternatives, affecting fingerling production.

Nyirandagijimana called for government support through incentives, easier access to production inputs, and lower electricity costs to encourage investment in the sector.

New regulations in the pipeline

The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) says it is finalising regulations to improve the quality and safety of commercial animal feed.

Eugene Kwibuka, Agriculture Information and Communication Programme Manager at MINAGRI, said the regulations will establish standards for manufacturers while ensuring farmers have access to safe, high-quality feed.

He noted that much of the country&039;s animal feed is still traded through informal markets, contributing to low utilisation of existing manufacturing plants.

"Feed manufacturing industries are currently operating at only about 53 per cent of their installed capacity," he said.

Kwibuka attributed the situation largely to the high cost of maize and soybeans, the two main ingredients used in feed production.

The government, he said, is investing in increasing domestic production of these crops while expanding storage facilities, including silos and warehouses, to stabilise supplies and prices throughout the year.

Search for alternatives

Maize accounts for about half of animal feed formulations, while soybean contributes roughly 30 per cent, meaning the two crops make up more than three-quarters of feed ingredients.

Rwanda currently produces about 508,492 tonnes of maize and 29,059 tonnes of soybeans annually, volumes that remain insufficient to satisfy demand.

To reduce reliance on imports and lower production costs, MINAGRI is supporting research into alternative feed ingredients.

Among the innovations being explored are protein from Black Soldier Fly larvae to replace soybean and processed cassava peels as a substitute for part of the maize used in feed production.

Officials say expanding local production of both conventional and alternative feed ingredients will be key to narrowing Rwanda's sizeable feed deficit and supporting continued growth in the livestock sector.