Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II Quarterly Report April 1 – June 30, 2015

The program was implemented in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Kigali Milk Sheds, and was funded by USAID with a total estimated federal funding of $14,999,988. The program aimed to link existing and new smallholder dairy producers through their cooperatives to expanding market demand driven by improved quality, reduced transaction costs, and increased investment all along the dairy value chain. The program achieved this by expanding input supplies and public and private dairy business services, as well as providing access to milk and dairy product quality monitoring and certification services. The program also empowered dairy sector leaders to lead development, increased dairy-related investments, and provided technical support to dairy processing plants. The program's leadership transitioned with Dennis Karamuzi assuming the role of Chief of Party from Frank O'Brien, who left at the end of his contract. Dennis has a good working relationship with the host government and has strong experience in program management, finance, and accounting. During the quarter, the program received a high-level delegation from Land O'Lakes, Inc., who visited project sites in Gicumbi district and applauded USAID's support and collaboration towards strengthening the dairy sector in Rwanda. The delegation was accompanied by the Senior Vice President of Land O'Lakes International Development Division, Jon Halverson. The program also hosted the 2nd annual cheese expo and competition in May, which showcased new butter products processed locally in Rwanda and attracted an increase in attendees and products compared to last year. The program provided technical support to Mukamira dairy processing plant, located in Nyabihu District, in response to a request from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI). The program hired two consultants, Kobus Mulder and Paul Schoen, to refine the Mukamira business plan and ascertain the quality of purchased equipment. The program also trained a new cohort of 353 model farmers from across the 17 districts where the program operates, and facilitated the development of cheese processing training materials. The program's achievements include the expansion of input supplies and public and private dairy business services, as well as the provision of access to milk and dairy product quality monitoring and certification services. The program also empowered dairy sector leaders to lead development, increased dairy-related investments, and provided technical support to dairy processing plants. The program's leadership transition was smooth, with Dennis Karamuzi assuming the role of Chief of Party from Frank O'Brien. The program's collaboration with Land O'Lakes, Inc. and the host government was also successful, with the delegation from Land O'Lakes applauding USAID's support and collaboration towards strengthening the dairy sector in Rwanda. The program's technical support to Mukamira dairy processing plant was also successful, with the consultants refining the business plan and ascertaining the quality of purchased equipment. The program's training of model farmers and facilitation of cheese processing training materials were also successful, with the program achieving its objectives of increasing the number of model farmers trained and providing technical support to dairy processing plants. The program's achievements demonstrate its effectiveness in reducing poverty through expanded marketing of quality milk that generates income and employment, and improves nutrition of rural households. The program's geographic focus was on the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Kigali Milk Sheds, and the program's timeframes were from January 6, 2012 to January 5, 2017. The program's recommendations include the continued expansion of input supplies and public and private dairy business services, as well as the provision of access to milk and dairy product quality monitoring and certification services. The program also recommends the continued empowerment of dairy sector leaders to lead development, increased dairy-related investments, and technical support to dairy processing plants.