Rwanda : Farmers concerned on lack of market for milk produce

Nyagatare farmers near Savannah Dairy are very excited due to the fact that Inyange industries bought Savannah Diary.

The industry now has market for their milk produce and they are paid on time yet farmers in far villages are worried because they have nowhere to sell their milk production.

Karama milk collection center

Chantal Mukakalisa a resident in Cyenkwanzi cell in Karama sector in Nyagatare district said that her cow gives about 16 liters of milk per day but getting market for this milk is the problem.

“Few people need milk daily and even those take one or two liters yet those with cows we are many.” She said.

Lack of market for milk produce is being tackled by the Cyenkwanzi cell administration. Félicien Muhizi the executive secretary of Cyenkwanzi cell said that apart from traders who sell tea and who also buy little milk because of few customers, they have no other market for their milk produce.

Claude Muhire the chairperson of farmers in Nyagatare district said that ever since Inyange industries bought Savannah Dairy, farmers were happy because it buys all milk brought there.

They agreed to always buy 35.000 liters per day but even when milk is more than that, they also buy it as long as it is good milk.

In order to solve this problem, farmers in the villages far from Nyagatare town contributed to build their own milk collection centers. This is what farmers in Karama cell did and they built their own center in Karama trading center last year and it was supposed to start operating in November 2011 but up to now, it hasn’t yet started. Farmers in Karama, Gatunda and Kiyombe sectors are all waiting for this center to open so as to get where to sell their milk.