Nyagatare farmers realise Rwf 135m in milk sales

NYAGATARE - Farmers in Nyagatare District have a reason to smile after earning Rwf 135 million in milk sales to Inyange Industries. Farmers had previously raised concern over lack of a market for milk products especially during the rainy season when production is high. Effective April this year, Inyange industries started purchasing over 20,000 litres of milk a day from Nyagatare farmers. In an interview with The New Times, yesterday, Cyrille Sinayobye, the director of Nyagatare milk plant, said that production drastically increased both in quality and quantity due to market availability. “Previously, farmers supplied low quantity and poor quality milk becausen there was no market. With a ready market, supply is increasing,” he said. According to Sinayobye, the firm assured the farmers of a sustainable market for milk. “Inyange promised to purchase whatever quantity of milk farmers supply…,” he said, adding that the new market had caused milk prices to rise to Rwf200 per litre from Rwf120. Inyange handed over the earnings to eight farmers’ cooperatives that have collection centres in the district. “It is very refreshing for a farmer like me to collect Rwf500,000 from my milk supply this month,” said Frank Munyandinda, one of the farmers. The governor of Eastern Province, Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kakira earlier challenged farmers in the province to improve their production with the intention of being the main milk source for the country. Ends

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Nyagatare farmers realise Rwf 135m in milk sales