Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II Quarterly Report April – June 2012

The program was awarded to Land O'Lakes in January 2012 and is designed to reduce poverty through expanded marketing of quality milk that generates income and employment, and improves nutrition of rural households. RDCP II addresses the various challenges that the Rwandan dairy industry faces, including the dominance of the informal sector supplying low-quality raw milk. The program seeks to upgrade the entire dairy value chain by stimulating investment and helping to improve management practices at key points along the value chain, from smallholder producers to milk cooling centers, milk transporters, and milk processors. Additionally, RDCP II will build capacity of sector-wide institutions, including relevant departments in Minicom and Minagri, the Rwanda National Dairy Board (RNDB), and the Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS), empowering them to lead the dairy industry while facilitating them to advocate for and bring about positive policy initiatives and reforms. Progress in improving the competitive position of Rwanda's dairy industry will be measured by tracking export market expansion, change in farm-level dairy income, number of new products that meet industry quality standards/awarded the Rwanda Seal of Quality (RSOQ), value of non-RDCP II resources leveraged for the sector's development, and number of policy reforms advocated for and/or enacted among other progress measures. RDCP II will also endeavor to build the capacity of women and men at all levels within the dairy sector, with a focus on mainstreaming gender from project inception. The program will leverage additional investment from both the public and private sectors, with a grants component that will be a critical tool in stimulating the dairy industry, encouraging investment that will raise the caliber of this sector as a whole. The grants program will commence during the next quarter, with a grants advertisement to be placed in the Rwanda press in July and evaluation of proposals to commence at the end of July. RDCP II will also receive a visit from Land O'Lakes headquarters contracts and compliance specialist during the next quarter. RDCP II's overarching goal and mission is to increase the competitiveness of Rwandan dairy products in regional markets, positively impacting rural household incomes associated with dairy-related enterprises. The program's focus on upgrading the dairy value chain, building capacity of sector-wide institutions, and mainstreaming gender will help to achieve this goal. By stimulating investment and improving management practices, RDCP II aims to create a more competitive and sustainable dairy industry in Rwanda. The program's progress will be measured by tracking key indicators, including export market expansion, change in farm-level dairy income, and number of new products that meet industry quality standards. RDCP II's grants component will also play a critical role in stimulating the dairy industry, encouraging investment that will raise the caliber of this sector as a whole. By leveraging additional investment from both the public and private sectors, RDCP II aims to create a more competitive and sustainable dairy industry in Rwanda. RDCP II's focus on mainstreaming gender will also help to increase women's participation, reduce gender disparities, mitigate harmful effects such as Gender-Based Violence, and bring forth sustainable development. The program's gender advisor has been involved in initial introductions and scoping visits at district level to ensure that RDCP II's commitment to gender is visible from the beginning of the project. The gender advisor has also developed a 'gender guiding tool' to guide RDCP II staff throughout implementation processes.