Farmers upbeat on new Inyange deal

Milk productionImproving yieldsDairy farmers in Nyagatare District, Eastern province have welcomed a new five-year agreement with Inyange Industries to supply the firm with 35,000 litres of milk daily.The agreement was signed by Inyange Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) John Bosco Birungi, and the president of Nyagatare Dairy Farmers Union, Charles Mushaija.“I am very happy to have signed this contract with Inyage Industries on behalf of my fellow dairy farmers in Nyagatare district because it will help to improve social welfare through increased production of milk,” Mushaija said.In an interview with The New Times yesterday, the Director of Finance and Administration, Nick Barigye pointed out that dairy farmers in the district have been supplying Inyange Industries with between 6,000 and 10,000 litres a day.He said that signing of the contract was aimed at increasing milk production from the district.“Normally when there is a dry spell the purchase price of milk goes up and during the wet season when milk is in plenty the price goes down, but now the contract which Inyange has signed is that the price will be fixed irrespective of the season,” Barigye said.According to the official, they have also increased the price at which Inyange will be buying from the dairy farmers union in the district, from Rwf 190 to Rwf 210. He said that initially Inyange Industries had an agreement with Savannah Dairy to supply it with milk and then also had another agreement with the dairy farmers union in the district saying that this has been causing delays in payment due to the involvement of a lot of people in the deal.Mushaija called upon Inyange to also sign similar agreements with other dairy farmers across the country saying that this will help to boost the livestock sector hence helping the country to achieve sustainable development in the future. Ernest Ruzindaza, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), who was also present at the signing ceremony, said his ministry has been training farmers to ensure that quality and quantity of milk improve. He added that the ministry is also training farmers on modern techniques including how to properly feed cows and store feed for the dry season.

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Farmers upbeat on new Inyange deal