Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II Quarterly Report October 1 – December 31, 2015

The program achieves this by linking existing and new smallholder dairy producers to an expanding market demand driven by improved quality, reduced transaction costs, and increased investment along the dairy value chain. RDCP II unveiled major institutional development grants this quarter, totaling approximately Rwf 261M (USD $373,000). The grants were launched on November 3, 2015, alongside several business innovation grants to milk collection centers. The Rwanda National Dairy Platform (RNDP) received a grant of Rwf 105,716,000 (USD $155,601) to fully operationalize, establish a strong network with other stakeholders, and increase the group's ability to serve as an effective advocacy body. The Rwanda Agricultural Livestock Inspection and Certification Services (RALIS) received a grant of Rwf 103,005,700 (USD $147,627) to enhance the Government of Rwanda's efforts to improve the quality of dairy products and consumer safety. Business innovation grants were awarded to eleven milk collection centers, which received assorted equipment worth Rwf 53 million (USD $69,954) in total. RDCP II also awarded a grant equivalent to Rwf 86,965,552 (USD $121,698) to URUNANA Development Communications Ltd (Urunana DC) to develop and implement a Behavior Change Campaign (BCC) program through their successful radio soap opera "Urunana" to increase household milk consumption among pregnant and lactating women and children less than 5 years of age. The cumulative amount of grants provided by USAID's Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II since 2012 is 955 million RWF (USD $1,257,238) to dairy value chain actors and support agencies. The program has made significant progress in improving the quality of dairy products and consumer safety, and has increased household milk consumption among vulnerable groups. The National Mastitis implementation plan was validated this quarter, following the completion of the Mastitis control strategic plan in July. The plan highlights clear outputs and identifies responsible institutions to spearhead the implementation of the strategy. Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) has taken a leading role to ensure that the different stakeholders meet their obligation as proposed in the plan. RDCP II will provide support to the implementation plan with the engagement of other stakeholders. RNDP launched its 5-year Strategic Plan in November, co-hosted jointly between the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources (MINAGRI). The event was a milestone for the RDCP II team, which worked tirelessly to build a strong link between RNDP and MINICOM under the SME cluster support program. The launch ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Trade and Industry, who recognized the RNDP leadership and vision for the dairy subsector in Rwanda. The program has made significant progress in improving the quality of dairy products and consumer safety, and has increased household milk consumption among vulnerable groups. The RDCP II team will continue to work with stakeholders to implement the National Mastitis implementation plan and to support the RNDP in its efforts to improve the dairy subsector in Rwanda.