Nyagatare District continues to struggle with low milk production despite having one of Rwanda’s largest cattle populations, with poor feeding, farm management and other livestock practices limiting productivity.

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The district has 215,936 cattle, with Karangazi accounting for the largest number among its 14 sectors at 46,041. However, each cow produces only 1.6 litres of milk per day, making it the fourth-lowest producing sector.

Karama, which has only 2,233 cattle, records the highest yield at 3.6 litres per cow per day, a performance attributed to careful management and adoption of good livestock practices.

The figures point to a challenge beyond the number of cattle, showing that how farmers feed, breed and manage their cattle directly affects milk production.

The figures were presented during a consultative meeting between Nyagatare District, Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and livestock farmers who live in Kigali. The meeting was held in Kigali on Friday, August 21.

Farmers living in Kigali account for about 35 per cent of Nyagatare’s livestock farmers, according to Mayor Henry Kakoza, who said the meeting was aimed at encouraging them to take a more active role in managing their farms.

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Kakoza said remote management was affecting farm performance, particularly where owners relied on cowboys who lacked the necessary skills or whose interests did not always align with those of the owners.

Kakoza said low productivity means some livestock owners spend more maintaining their cattle than they earn from them.

"What this means is that livestock owners end up supporting their cattle, rather than the cattle supporting them. They spend more on maintaining and herding the cattle than the value or benefits they get from them,” he said.

"It means that only 30 per cent of the cattle reared in our district yield milk, also that our livestock farmers do not draw profits from their work. They instead use the little income from that output to reinvest in cattle keeping and must look for money from elsewhere to invest in the activity,” he said.

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He said at least 80 per cent of the cattle should be productive to make livestock farming sustainable.

The mayor attributed the low productivity to farmers’ limited knowledge of cattle genetics, traditional livestock practices, inadequate farm management, and differences in the interests and skills of farm owners and cowboys.

Nyagatare wants to raise its average milk yield from about 2.3 litres per cow per day to 6.3 litres next year and 15 litres within three years.

"It is a shame talking about 2.3 litres as the average cattle milk productivity. Yes, that is the truth. That is what we have on the table right now. And our vision is to increase that at least up to 15 litres per cow in the next three years,” the mayor said.

He said there is room for further improvement because many of the cattle are crossbreeds, particularly Friesian and local breeds.

"We are looking at next year at least having 6.3. So, we keep moving forward,” he said, adding that some crossbred cows can produce up to 35 litres of milk a day.

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"We are here to tell our livestock farmers who live in Kigali and have farms in Nyagatare to come back home, give ample time to your farms, and follow up on them,” he said.

He also urged farmers to prepare early for Season A, which begins in September, by cultivating their land and producing animal feed.

"Please cultivate part of your farm, because the policy is that the farm owner should cultivate 70 per cent of the farm and reserve the 30 per cent for farm and grazing,” he said.

"If the 70 per cent of the farm that you have in Nyagatare is not cultivated, you are not planting or stocking hay. Most likely, this time next year, you will be facing a shortage of animal feeds.”

He said milk supplied to a Nyagatare factory had fallen from about 120,000 litres to less than 30,000 litres due to water shortages and inadequate animal feed.

"We want to end the shortage of animal feeds first and then deal with the shortage of water. And that will at least help us to keep a constant supply of milk, increase milk productivity, but also increase profitability for the farm owner,” he said.

More than 170,000 litres of milk were also rejected at Inyange over two months due to poor practices.

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Farmers also raised low milk prices, saying they do not match production costs. The district officials said they were engaging milk-processing companies on the issue.

Kakoza urged farmers to address challenges within their control while the district works on those requiring wider intervention.

He highlighted projects under way, including the Muvumba Multipurpose Dam and other infrastructure expected to support farmers. The district also plans to increase meat production, with broader plans for exports.

The district has developed a farmers’ training manual in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

It has also identified five farmers at village level and five at cell level to receive training in best farming practices. Their farms will be used as training centres for other farmers.

Rwanda plans to increase daily milk production from 2.9 million litres to 6.8 million litres by 2029, with national programmes focusing on availability of improved genetics, animal feed, water, medicines and dairy infrastructure.

John Kayumba, RAB Nyagatare Station, urged farmers to make better use of modern farming practices and government support.

He also urged farmers to visit RAB demonstration fields and other nearby stations to learn from best practices.

The meeting also gave young farmers an opportunity to propose solutions to challenges affecting the livestock value chain.

Some of the farmers who attended the meeting showcased solutions they are developing to improve farming and increase productivity.

Frank Shema, a farmer from Karangazi Sector, presented an AI-powered camera system designed to monitor cattle and farm conditions.

"We have AI-powered cameras that can be used on farms to monitor zero-grazing at the farms, where you can track the activities and provide recommendations depending on the situation. The research is still underway to enhance its performance,” he said.

Augustin Katabarwa, a farmer in Kirebe, Rwimiyaga sector, called for faster implementation of projects addressing water shortages and urged authorities to consider alternatives such as dam construction where possible.