Africa Improved Foods (AIF) and Rwanda’s Inyange Industries Ltd have sealed a major deal for supply of powdered milk.
According to a communique released by AIF, Inyange Industries is expected to supply up to 3000 metric tons annually.
AIF said it has initiated the partnership through its first purchase of 50 tons of high-quality milk powder from Inyange.
“The transaction reflects a fundamental shift in how two of Rwanda’s leading manufacturers are leveraging local capacity to reduce import dependency and deepen integration across national value chains,” the communique reads in part.
“Our target is to buy as much powdered milk as possible from Inyange,” says Abraham Mathai, the AIF representative in Rwanda.
Inyange processes powder milk that meets internationally recognized quality and safety standards, including the FS22000 certification.
The milk powder produced is rich in protein, preserves the natural taste of milk, and is well suited for a variety of industrial applications; including fortified products that support nutrition for vulnerable populations.
Rwanda’s powdered milk has steadily gained a wide footprint both in regional and international markets, with exports now reaching Kenya, Tanzania, Turkey, Syria, Oman, and Ghana.
Inyange’s Milk Powder Plant (MPP) worth U$54 million located in Nyagatare District was commissioned 11 months ago effectively reducing farmers’ losses due to oversupply and limited local
processing capacity.
Elias Gakire representing dairy farmers in Nyagatare district told Taarifa in an exclusive interview commended the deal saying it will improve interest in dairy farming because of the available market for the milk.
The processing plant created a sustained industrial demand, stabilizing offtake and securing a consistent market for dairy farmers across the country.
AIF reduces exposure to global supply chain disruptions, shortens procurement cycles, saves forex and increases its contribution to Rwanda’s GDP.
James Kagaba the Managing Director of Inyange Milk Powder Plant, says “with AIF purchasing such large volumes of milk, it has a direct positive impact on the local dairy farmer providing them with a readily available market.”
Inyange’s Milk Powder Plant (MPP) has capacity to process 650,000 liters of milk daily, however, Kagaba says only 40 tons are processed per day, ” this is not enough, we need more milk from farmers who have not been able to satisfy this demand.”
