Nyagatare district authorities have sharply criticised livestock farmers living or working in Kigali for neglecting their cattle, leaving management to unreliable herders and causing a steep seasonal collapse in milk output.
During a stakeholders’ meeting held on 21 August 2026, acting mayor Kakooza Henry revealed that milk deliveries to the Inyange dairy plant plummet from 120,000 litres a day in the rainy season to just 24,000 litres in the dry season. He attributed much of the shortfall to absentee owners who “manage by telephone” and trust herders who often drink instead of working.
“Thirty five percent of the cattle owners live or work in Kigali,” Kakooza said. “They leave the farms to herders who do not share their vision. We ask them to spend at least 48 hours on their farms, set clear targets and raise milk production.”
The mayor also highlighted poor artificial insemination practices. Many herders, he noted, wait until night to report a cow in heat, by which time it is too late. Current conception rates stand at only 33 percent.
Farmers themselves acknowledged the problem. Cyizihira Alphonse, who keeps cattle in Nyagatare sector while living in town, confirmed that staying away allows herders to conceal information about sick or dry cows.
“I have now taken control again, i visit my pasture regularly and have put measures in place so that today i know exactly how my cows are doing. I now have cows yielding 20 litres a day, and many of them,” he said.
District leaders further appealed to the area’s large youth population 69% of whom could work in agriculture to stop chasing low paid jobs in Kigali and instead develop the land and livestock already owned by their families. One young participant, Ndayambaje Innocent, pledged: “We have delayed enough. We are returning to use the opportunities we have.”
With more than 215,000 cattle in the district, only 30% currently produce milk. Authorities are pushing owners to cultivate 70 percent of their land, store fodder ahead of the dry season, and treat livestock farming as a serious business rather than a remote investment. Only then, they insist, can Nyagatare turn its dairy potential into consistent production and lasting prosperity.
Naomi Irakoze Mugaragu.