In Musanze district, the high cost of livestock feed continues to be a major challenge for farmers, especially those raising chickens and other small livestock. Farmers say that the absence of a local feed manufacturing factory increases the cost, as they have to buy feed from Kigali or Musanze town, which affects their profits.
Chrysostome Ukwigize, President of the cooperative “Tworozanye Gashaki,” said that their poultry farming is going well, but the high price of feed remains a significant obstacle:
“This feed is extremely expensive. Here in our area, there is no factory producing it, so we have to buy it from afar. It costs us a lot and significantly reduces our profits,” he explained.
He added that farmers need support from local authorities to find solutions, and also requested special training where farmers can learn to produce livestock feed themselves to reduce costs.
Additionally, Joseph Nshokeyinka, coordinator of the PRISM project, said that training farmers to produce their own feed will help increase their capacity and improve their profits:
“There is no need to worry. The project aims to strengthen farmers’ capacity and increase their income, including by teaching them how to produce their own livestock feed,” he said.
Mayor of Musanze District, Claudien Nsengimana, assured residents that the issue of feed prices is being addressed and will be resolved sustainably:
“Coping with the high cost of livestock feed is one of our key concerns. The PRISM project may continue for three years, and during this time, we will prioritize building a local factory here in the district. In the meantime, there are short-term measures in collaboration with the private sector to ease the burden on farmers,” he explained.
The PRISM project has already supported vulnerable communities in several districts by providing small livestock, monitoring their activities, building a modern livestock market, and establishing a veterinary clinic.
