Rwanda to expand use of black soldier flies to boost poultry production

Some farmers in Rwanda have started embracing black soldier flies (BSF) larvae as a low-cost protein source for livestock feed, which can substitute the expensive soya, according to the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). Solange Uwituze, Deputy Director General in charge of Animal Resources Development at RAB made the observation on Monday, September 5, while making a case for the scaling up of black soldier flies technology as an affordable alternative to soybeans. BSF is a non-pest fly usually found in the tropics believed to have originated from temperate regions in America before spreading to other temperate regions around the world, including Africa. Uwituze was briefing journalists who are covering the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF 2022) summit about BSF’s importance in livestock, before they headed to Agribusiness Solutions Limited (Abusol Ltd) poultry farm in Bugesera District. AGRF, which is taking place in Rwanda, seeks to support resilient food systems for Africa’s sustainable food security. Animal feed accounts for the biggest part - between 60 and 70 percent of the livestock production cost, according to Uwituze. Currently, a kilogramme of chicken feed is around Rwf400, which is expensive for poultry farmers. Uwituze said that animal feed is not only expensive but also in short supply in Rwanda, for both large scale and smallholder farmers, which calls for more sustainable alternatives. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Uwituze said, a kilogramme of soybeans was Rwf400, but tripled to Rwf1,200 as a result of the pandemic and the subsequent Russia-Ukraine war greatly disrupted supply chain and increased costs of this key animal feed protein source. Rwanda produced over 26,800 tonnes of soybeans in 2021, according to the seasonal agricultural survey 2021 annual report by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. Yet, estimates from RAB suggest that countrywide, feed factories need to import about 45,000 tonnes of soybeans per year. Uwituze observed that BSF will address the soybean shortage, and organic waste issue. “Research showed that the use of BSF larvae could replace 25 per cent to 50 per cent of soybean meal and fish meal in livestock feed,” Uwituze said. She said that previous research on broiler production has identified the rearing of insects as one of the most viable solutions, suggesting black soldier flies’ larvae could be very effective in the production of quality animal feed rich in proteins in Rwanda. This, she said, could be done through easily adaptable processes at commercial as well as household-level production. The findings showed that BSF maggots (or larvae) can be a locally available protein source as raw materials for their production are enough in Rwanda. She pointed out that feed containing these maggots’ protein give better results in broiler production compared to rations fed to broiler concentrates alone, while the quality of carcass of those broiler is improved and affect positively meat taste. Tackling the waste burden BSF is a non-pest fly usually found in the tropics believed to have originated from temperate regions in America before spreading to other temperate regions around the world, including Africa. BSF larvae feed on organic waste reducing the waste by 50 per cent and converting it into biomass rich in protein and fat, Uwituze noted. Its popularity links to the promising opportunities of using the harvested BSF larvae as a source of protein for animal feed, thus, providing a valuable alternative to conventional feed, according to Uwituze. “With this development, organic waste will no longer be a problem, rather a solution,” Uwituze observed. She pointed out that the country is exploring the possibility of testing BSF maggot-based feed formulation of other species such as fish, pigs, layers, and pigs together with broiler farmers. Uwituze said currently that the main farm testing black soldier flies is Abusol, but that there are about 1,000 smallholder livestock farmers who are trying to raise the black soldier flies and are mixing them by themselves, feeding them to their pigs and chicken. Abusol Ltd General Manager, Jean Baptiste Musabyimana said that he wants to set up an insect-based animal feed plant expected to produce 5,000 tonnes of BSF powder per year. Abusol Ltd is a commercial poultry farm that started operations in 2016 with 10,000 layers and has expanded to over 100,000 layers today. “We expect to start testing BSF-based feed on 2,000 broilers on September 20 this year,” he said. “Soya is expensive and there is a supply shortage of this legume, with most of it being imported. So, black soldier flies’ larvae can be a good alternative to it since it can be sourced locally,” he said. Meanwhile, Uwitunze announced that a BSF factory would be set up in Rwanda through a partnership that is set to be announced during the summit in Kigali.

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Rwanda to expand use of black soldier flies to boost poultry production