Dairy Value Chain and Household Development in Rwanda

Abstract

The value chain in terms of dairy can lead to the development of business and households in general. Hence, the aim of the study was to examine the dairy value chain and household development in Rwamagana district in Rwanda. The study employed a descriptive research design to examine the dairy value chain and household development in Rwamagana district in Rwanda. The target population was 11,595 respondents. The sample size was 385 respondents got by using Slovin’s formula. The study used purposive and simple random sampling techniques to determine the sample size. Questionnaire and interview guides were used to collect the data. The validity of the research instrument was maintained by distributing the research instruments to the expert respondents in the area of the study while reliability was maintained by conducting a pilot study that provided reliability of the research instrument. The findings revealed that technical services, dairy inputs availability and profitable market access contributed in household incomes. It was also revealed that animal husbandry techniques by reproduction and artificial insemination promoted cross-breeding, where 50% of respondents confirmed that their cows increased from 1 to 2, and other at 46.9% increased up to 5 cows.  The study found that 98.2% of the respondents received trainings on animal health disease management and 97.9% of them practiced what acquired from training, and this improved the animal health and reduced the cows’ death rate. Majority of dairy value chain actors at 88.5% of respondents cultivated fodder to feed their cows and 91.7% of them gained different conservation techniques such as hay making and silage useful in dry and drought seasons to avoid milk shortages and cow death. Besides, 73.2% of respondents of dairy chain actors had different milk equipment to support in keeping good quality and safety, storage and feeding such as milk cans, choppers, sprayers and other testing materials, and 87% of them accessed veterinary pharmacies nearby. Findings revealed that a large number of respondents at 90.9% consumed milk at home level which improved the households’ members livelihood, and the surplus was sold to milk collection centers, milk kiosks, restaurants, hotels, schools. The study recommended that farmers should be mobilized for more house water harvesting strategies and increased measures of fodder conservation by hay making and silage techniques. Government and private sector in partnership with dairy chain actors should put in place a processing plant for products development, diversification, market penetration and market development strategies. There should be mobilizing of private investors or cooperatives in the dairy equipment shops. Keywords: Dairy, Value change, Household, Household development and dairy value chain, Rwanda