Plans to enhance the capacity of Nyanza Milk Industries are in advanced stages which could see the processing capacity increase by five-fold, the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Geraldine Mukeshimana, has said.

Mukeshimana said once the upgrade  is completed,  the plant will be able to process 20,000 litres of milk per day.

The minister made the remarks on Friday while touring the Nyanza Milk Industries in Nyanza District and cattle farms at Rwanda Agriculture Board’s Songa Station in Kinazi Sector of Huye District.

Songa Station is an animal genetic improvement centre, which through research, cross-breeds different cattle  breeds to produce improved breeds.

The minister, together with other officials, assessed the state of breeding activities and dairy sector in the districts of Huye and Nyanza.

Nyanza Milk Industries  is a response to the community’s request to government to help upgrade the facility.

When President Paul Kagame visited the area last September, he promised residents a facility which would help process some surplus 400,000 litres of milk per month.

"Technicians later visited the milk plant and came up with the requirements. We have established the budget which we plan to discuss with the Ministry of Finance. After putting everything together, upgrading of the industry will follow,” said Mukeshimana.

The facility has been processing 4,000 litres of milk per day, but an assessment showed that after upgrading it can process 20,000 litres per day.

The minister said they are seeking ways of helping milk collection centres to provide the required supply.

The managing director of Nyanza Milk Industries, Captain Ermex Kayiranga, said they produce fermented milk and yoghurt.

"We are considering bringing 50 Freisian cows and expand the market. We are working with three milk collection centres – one in Busoro, another in Huye and another in Buhanda. We are looking at collection centres in Gisagara and in Ruhango districts so as to get more milk,” he said.

Claire d’André Hirwa, a livestock researcher at RAB, said so far, the Songa Station breeds 315 cows.

National dairy outlook

The 2013 Rwanda National Dairy Strategy report indicated that Rwanda produced approximately 445 million litres of milk per year.

The cattle inventory was 1.33 million and 28 per cent were improved dairy cows producing 82 per cent of the milk yield.

The report said the national herd is expected to grow to 1.67 million cattle in 2017 and 1.92 million in 2020.

Milk production in 2017 is projected to reach 650,000,000 litres per year.