Inyange industries is one of the Crystal Ventures Limited (CVL) five key portfolio companies, which began its journey in 1997 with a small factory focused on processing 10,000 litres per day and selling pasteurized milk and yogurt.
Over the years, it has expanded its product range to include milk and dairy products, fruit juices, and natural mineral water under the brands “Inyange,” “Mukamira,” “Savannah,” and “Giheke”
Inyange industries has grown to 650,000 litres per day as of this year 2024 and a total capacity of 850,000 litres per day for the entire company (which has five other milk companies).
Godfrey Kayitare from the Dairy Farmers Union in Nyagatare said that though the milk production has grown by 74% annually, there are challenges in access to water for animals raised in kraals, trusted and affordable artificial animal feeds, and small feeder road network to access milk.
PM Ngirente said that inaugurating a new powder milk plant will improve the dairy sector, provide a ready market for milk produced by farmers and increase incomes of livestock farmers.
Ngirente however challenged the farmers to double their efforts to increase the current milk production as the government also plans to increase the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the dairy value chain- especially road networks, milk collection, and subsidies among other programs aimed at increasing farmer’s incomes.
Model livestock farmer like Francoise Mukase showed how she has benefited from the government incentives where she grew from being a One Cow per Family (Girinka program) beneficiary to 18 milk cows which have enabled her to earn and buy land or pay fees for her children in good schools.
Mukase says that the milk sector is a gold mine of making money and the support from Inyange industries educating farmers and paying on time has been an added value.
The new milk plant has signed supply contracts with livestock farmers who have since April-June received Rwf1.3billion in payments and will also get financial assistance from partner banks such as the Bank of Kigali, I&M Bank and NCBA bank.
Diane Mukunde, Head of Corporate Banking at NCBA Bank said that farmers will get financial loans with a 9% interest rate but will not be required to provide collateral to secure the loans.
“This will help farmers to invest more in the milk production and not worry about where the funds will come from,” Mukunde said.
Mukunde noted that they made a deliberate intention to invest in the powder milk project since the bank wants to expand its branches in the Eastern region and its roots in the country (Rwanda) which has shown potential for growth.
