By Seif Gracien Shaggy Hasingizwimana/Kigali,Rwanda,
GATSIBO – Milk production in Gatsibo District has increased by 15,000 liters per day over the last two years, rising from 45,000 liters to 60,000 liters per day, while this district has a goal of reaching 100,000 liters per day in the coming years.
This increase is connected to the implementation of the Rwanda Dairy Development Project Phase II (RDDP II), which is helping farmers increase production through promoting livestock forage and giving them training on modern livestock farming.
Ismael Ngendahayo, a forage and forage seed farmer from Akabuga Cell in Kiramuruzi Sector, is one of those who have already seen changes resulting from growing modern livestock forage.
He said: “Through the help of RDDP II, I learned that relying on one type of forage cannot give a cow all the nutrients it needs. Just like people, cows also need a balanced diet that includes energy-giving and body-building nutrients.”
Ngendahayo says that he started on a small area of 20 by 20 meters, but now he has reached two hectares of modern forage. He also says that in one season he earned about two million Rwandan francs from selling forage seeds.
He said: “I used that money to buy a cow valued at one million Rwandan francs, and I invested the rest in developing fields and buying fertilizer.”
He says that milk production increased significantly because before his cows gave one liter per day, while now there are those that exceed 10 liters per day.
He said: “Before, I used to feed them mostly energy-giving food. Now I mix it with forage rich in protein and I follow the feeding methods we were taught. The difference is very big.”
Peter Muyambe, who farms in Rwiminazi Village in Nyamatete Cell, Rwimbogo Sector, says that growing livestock forage has greatly changed his farming.
He said: “Modern forage gives more production than relying on the pasture land alone. It can be harvested four times a year.”
Muyambe says that before being trained on forage farming, their cows gave one or two liters per day, but now there are those that give up to 15 liters per day.
He said: “Before knowing how to grow forage, our cows gave one or two liters of milk per day. Now there are those that give up to 15 liters.”
He continues to say that the problem of the shortage of livestock feed during the sunny season has reduced significantly.
He said: “From May to October we could not milk our cows because there was no forage. Now that problem is decreasing because we have enough forage depending on the number of livestock a person has.”
Vice Mayor of Gatsibo District in charge of Economic Development, Jean Leonard Sekanyange, says that RDDP II is playing a major role in developing dairy farming.
He said: “The project helped our citizens by giving modern cows and promoting the planting of livestock forage.”
He continued to say that the problem of the shortage of livestock feed was severe, but that farmers and forage seed processors are being helped to increase production.
He said: “Before, the problem of the shortage of livestock feed was severe. Through RDDP II, farmers and forage seed processors are being helped to grow forage so that good livestock feed can be available, so that milk production increases.”
Gatsibo District has now reached a production of 60,000 liters of milk per day coming from 45,000 liters in the last two years, and it has a goal of reaching 100,000 liters per day in the coming years.
RDDP II is a six-year project from 2024 to 2030, with a budget of 100.37 million US Dollars (over 127 billion Rwandan Francs). It will operate in 27 districts of the Country and plans to reach 175,000 households, equal to about 700,000 citizens.
