The Rwanda milk industry has been given $240.000 from the Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program ll (RDCP ll), a five year program under the Land o Lakes International Development that receives its funding donated by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The program is aimed at boosting food security and increasing income for Rwanda's smallholder dairy farmers by improving infrastructure in the country's milk collection centers, dairy processors, plus the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
"This program is aimed at reducing poverty through the expanded marketing of quality milk that will generate income, provide greater employment opportunities and also improve nutrition of rural households," said Frank O' Brien the Chief of Party RDCP ll.
Land o Lakes has already bought different equipment, including motorized tricycles which will be used in transporting milk, animal feed equipment and milk cooling tanks.Other equipment bought include batch pasteurizers, butter and cheese making equipment, milk cans, generators, plus a 8,000-liter insulated milk transporting tank will be given out to diaries across the country.
"I am so grateful for the partnership I started with RDCP ll, and I believe this is going to help not only me but other people in the dairy business be able to produce quality milk," Hajji Saidi Havugimana founder of Hajji Dairy Enterprises said. He owns one of the small-to -medium sized enterprises which is improving livelihoods in Nyanza district.
Havugimana added that such equipment was going to strengthen the dairy sector competitiveness of Rwanda improved quality and increased milk volumes.
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