Agric ministry to upgrade milk collection centres

In a move to ensure the quality and quantity supply of milk from the Milk Collection Centres (MCCs), the Ministry of Agriculture is conducting an exercise to identify and fix challenges MCCs face.The exercise is being implemented under the Livestock Infrastructure Support Programme (LISP). The four-year programme operates countrywide with a focus on rural infrastructure development, especially on water supply for livestock farmers and feeder roads with the aim to improve access to farms and milk collection centres (MCCs).“After finding out the challenges the centres are facing, we shall then develop mechanisms through which the ministry will intervene, but the first step will be making sure the MCCs meet the standard measures of hygiene,” said LISP Project Coordinator, Dr Michel Ngarambe.Currently, there are 61 MCCs with the capacity to handle between 2,000 and 5,000 litres per day. The target is to have another 70 by 2015. Thirty are under construction and will be operational early next year.“The government came up with the MCCs initiative in 2000. It encouraged famers to form cooperatives so that they can take full control of the centres; although it comes in to streamline their operations in terms of service delivery,” he said.At the MCC`s, milk is tested, cooled and kept safely before it is sold. In addition to their production, farmers through their cooperatives buy more milk from other farmers at Rwf 160 per litre which they sell at Rwf 200.

National

Agric ministry to upgrade milk collection centres