Our Impact
Access to Quality Inputs & funding:
Our animal feed plant is the only commercial feed plant that is quality certified by the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), and we are in progress towards obtaining HACCP and ISO certification. Through our network of outlets and agents, we are able to supply high quality feeds to the farmers and we have been able to improve the quality standards in the industry. As a result of that, farmers have been able to earn more as their productivity has significantly improved.
Our dairy farmers out-grower scheme has seen us providing smallholder dairy farmers with quality LISHE dairy feed to supplement the grazing of their cows. This has seen most farmers more than doubling their milk productivity and also significantly improving the quality of the milk produced. The dairy feed is provided to the farmers on credit and the cost of the feed is subsequently deducted when the farmers deliver their milk.
Technical Support:
Under the dairy farmer out-grower scheme, we run a graduate trainee program that takes students from local universities and provides them with practical work experience under the tutelage of our experienced team members. Part of the work they do is to provide our farmers with on-farm support services. Every farmer’s needs are different, and we are able to provide specific support that matches the needs of our customers.
Under the dairy farmer out-grower scheme, we provide the smallholder farmer with technical training and support. We initially provide them with on-farm training on how to improve the health of their cows, and reduce the risk of contamination of the milk from the time they milk their cows to when they deliver the milk to a Milk Collection Centre. We then provide them with ongoing technical support, and we will soon look to be able to support them with artificial insemination for their cows.
Consistent & Fair Markets:
The sustainability value chains and interventions with smallholder farmers, rest on the ability to provide a consistent and fair market for the products that the farmers produce. This will ensure that the farmers keep improving on their quality and quantities and ultimately leading to a significant improvement of their livelihoods.
We provide a guaranteed market to all the smallholder dairy farmers under our out-grower scheme, and a market for those yet to join the scheme. Our dairy plant requires high-quality milk supplied in large quantities on a consistent basis in order to produce affordable and high quality dairy products. As a commercially viable dairy enterprise that relies significantly on raw milk supplied by the smallholder farmers, we are committed to ensuring the continued growth and success of the scheme and the mutual value creation with the farmers.
Some of our key raw materials used at our animal feeds plant are maize and soya beans. These are sourced locally mainly from smallholder farmers. We work in partnership with local organizations that provide the smallholder farmers with post-harvest drying and handling facilities, and we buy the maize and soya beans aggregated. Our consistent demand for maize and soya beans has allowed smallholder farmers and supporting organizations, to invest more into the supply of inputs thereby increasing the amount of cropping done. With a growing demand for maize and soya beans, we are invested in ensuring the continued growth and success of these smallholder farmers.