Nyagatare District is seeking to increase milk production and improve the profitability of livestock farming, with district leaders calling on farmers who live or work in Kigali to dedicate more time and resources to their farms back home.
The call was made by Nyagatare District Mayor Kakooza Henry during a meeting with livestock farmers and young people from Nyagatare who reside in Kigali but own or operate farms in the district, which was held from Gasabo District conference room.
According to the mayor, a significant number of livestock farmers in Nyagatare live or work in Kigali, leaving the day-to-day management of their farms largely in the hands of workers who may lack the necessary skills and commitment.
“Almost 35 percent of livestock farmers in Nyagatare reside or work in Kigali, and they have farms in Nyagatare,” Kakooza said. “The farms are managed by workers, but they do not always have the required skills and may not fully align with the interests of the farm owners.”
He urged farmers to return regularly to their farms and become more directly involved in their management, particularly as preparations begin for the upcoming agricultural Season A.
Kakooza reminded farmers of the district’s land-use policy, which requires farm owners to cultivate 70 percent of their land while reserving 30 percent for livestock farming and grazing.
“We are telling them to come back home and give ample time to their farms. As farmers prepare for Season A, livestock farmers should also prepare,” he said. “The 70 percent of the farms that should be cultivated is not being fully utilized, meaning farmers are neither planting crops nor producing and storing hay.”
The mayor warned that failure to prepare animal feed in advance could result in serious shortages during the dry season.
“If they do not act now, most likely this time next year they will be facing a shortage of animal feeds,” he said.
The district believes that improving the availability of animal feed will help address one of the major causes of fluctuating milk production.
Kakooza noted that milk production in Nyagatare increases during the rainy season but drops significantly during the dry season due to a shortage of water and, more critically, insufficient animal feed.
“During the rainy season, milk production increases, but when it comes to the dry season, everything comes crashing down,” he said. “One of the major causes is the shortage of water, but the biggest contributor is the lack of animal feeds.”
He said the district wants farmers to begin producing and storing fodder now in order to maintain a more consistent supply of milk throughout the year.
The move is also expected to increase farmers’ incomes by improving the productivity and profitability of their livestock.
“At least we want to address the problem of animal feeds while continuing to fight the shortage of water,” Kakooza said. “That will help us maintain a constant supply of milk, increase milk productivity and also increase profitability for farm owners.”
Nyagatare District currently has an ambitious target to significantly increase the average amount of milk produced per cow over the next three years.
According to Kakooza, the current average productivity stands at about 2.3 litres of milk per cow, a figure he described as far below the district’s potential.
“Our vision is to increase that to at least 15 litres per cow in the next three years,” he said, adding that the district is targeting an average of 6.3 litres per cow in the coming year as part of the gradual progress toward that goal.
The mayor said Nyagatare’s cattle population, which largely consists of crossbreeds between improved and local breeds, has the potential to produce significantly more milk.
“Some of these cows can produce up to 35 litres of milk,” he said. “Even the target of 15 litres is an average, which means we still have room for improvement.”
As Nyagatare works to transform livestock farming into a more productive and profitable sector, district authorities are placing greater emphasis on direct farm management, fodder production and improved preparation for dry seasons.
For the district, the message to livestock farmers living in Kigali is clear: investing time in their farms, cultivating available land and storing enough animal feed could be the key to reducing seasonal milk shortages and unlocking Nyagatare’s full dairy production potential.
