EASTERN PROVINCE

A US based company, EMA Company, has urged livestock farmers in the Eastern Province to buy milking machines. Serianz-Rakic Brigita, an official of the company made the call during a function to demonstrate to the farmers how the power-driven machines are used.

The function took place at the Umutara Polytechnic on Thursday.

EMA Company is a global dealer in farm equipments. Once bought, the machines could ensure production of hygienically clean milk unlike before when farmers milked their cows manually.

Brigita said, "We have several types of this particular machine that relieve farmers of the burden of milking cows with high milk yields.”

She added that using automated machines creates a much more cow-friendly and none laborious system in the milking process, which cows quickly adapt to.

"It is built with high technology, which is very mechanical, and also use what might be relatively expensive rubber tubes to touch the teats,” she explained.

The only task that the farmer does is to fit these tubes onto the teats and takes them off after milking.

Brigita advised farmers to feed well their cows, so that they produce more milk equivalent to the feeding.

Livestock farmers who attended the function welcomed the move, saying it would simplify their work.

The farmers, most of whom have recently resorted to stocking exotic cow breeds said they are ready for modern developments which can enhance their incomes.

Fred Nyamurangwa, one of the farmers, from the Katabagemu Sector called on authorities to speed up the purchase of community owned grass grinders and tilling machines to boost cows’ yields.

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