Cattle Keepers in Gicumbi District Pouring Away 10,000 Litres of Milk Daily

There is so much milk produced in Gicumbi district, bordering Uganda, that farmers have to pour some of it away on a daily basis.

Every single day, the hundreds of cattle farmers in the region deliver more than 40,000 litres to the government-provided milk collection center. From this amount of milk, beverages maker Inyange Industries, buys 20,000 litres.

Some of the milk is supplied to schools and nutrition centers in the district as part of the central government’s nutrition program for young children.

However, head of the sole cooperative in charge of the milk collection centre, Uzabakiriho Gervais, told local media that after all deliveries have been made, they still have more than 10,000 litres daily with nowhere to be supplied.

Some farmers say they give a lot of their excess milk to pig farmers to feed their pigs. Some of the milk is poured away.

Gicumbi, Burera and Nyagatare districts that border Uganda produce vast amounts of milk as the region has lots of cattle. Before February 2019 when Rwanda-Uganda relations were still normal, atleast 100,000 litres were sent across to Uganda daily. That is no more ever since.

Local officials say they know of the surplus milk being produced in the region. A powder milk factory is due to be built in thw region to turn much of that milk.