Renowned Dairy Consultant Alex Gathii was recently in Rwanda for the International Dairy Federation (IDF) Regional Dairy Conference in Kigali and made the following presentation on Sustainable Dairy Sector for a Prosperous Africa where he covered the topic “Cost Effective Balanced Fodder Feeding and Use of Appropriate Feeding Technologies for increased milk production suitable for Small Land sized smallholder dairy farmers in Rwanda; The Expert’s Narrative.’’
Intensive Fodder Production
Every litre of milk we fail to produce is an opportunity lost to nourish, employ and prosper. Feeding innovations are pathways to food security, increased incomes, and resilience. Rwanda can feed itself, create millions of jobs, and become the continental dairy leader, all by harnessing the potential of the cow. Feeding technologies will optimize every meter square of land, every kilogram of feed and hit 1 billion litres of milk, annually.
Introducing Tanolope Consultancy Limited
Tanolope Transformative Story:
Not just about cows, milk, and farms.
- Vision: To revolutionize Africa’s dairy industry at the lowest cost possible.
- Empowerment
- Innovation
- Sustainable growth
Providing 360 Degrees Dairy Entrepreneurship Consultancies and Training across Africa, becoming the beacon of change in the Africa’s dairy industry.
Tanolope has footprints in 12 African Countries including Rwanda
- Champion Low-Cost, High-Impact Dairy Models
- Build a compelling pan-African dairy knowledge brand
- Create the ‘Cow Prophet’ Knowledge Movement
- Partnering with Governments to Shape Dairy Policy
- Offering expert policy advisory services to align national dairy strategies
- Establishing data-driven platforms
- Scale Fodder and Feed Innovation Programs
- Launch Tanolope Dairy Academy across Africa
- Promote adoption of high-biomass, high-nutrition fodders
- Mobilize Private Capital through Dairy Investment forums
- Lead Green Dairy Solutions for Climate-Smart farming
- Tell Africa’s Dairy Success Stories loudly
Rwanda’s Milk Moment
Rwanda’s milk demand, particularly for schools and processing plants, adoption of best farming practices and the implementation of twice-daily milk collection.
To increase from 1,5million litres a day to 3 million litres.
Enhancing husbandry practices for the existing dairy herd, not importing
Feeding and Feeding Systems is the Matrix of a Profitable Dairy Enterprise
The Matrix would illuminate Rwanda’s Staircase to a Milk Powerhouse
Rwanda’s Dairy Revolution won’t be spontaneous like the Alexander Fleming’s Penicillin discovery. Dietary factors influence gene expression (Nutrigenomic).
Rwanda rebuilt with a cow. Girinka Project that gave hope, dignity and nutrition.
A cow does not lie, when we feed her right, house her right, treat her right, she will pay us right. Cow signals. Farmer signals. Market signals.
Could Injichario do the magic?
Did you know while human’s Field of Vision is limited to 180 degrees, a cow’s field is nearly double that? We are flipping Rwanda’s dairy script using all science behind super yielders; anchored in the 4 Pillars;
- Mindset; from Subsistence to Business
- Practices: from traditional to Data-Driven
- Returns: from Survival level to Profitable
- Sector Set-up: from fragmented to Unified and Competitive
What’s Feeding and Feeding Systems?
Providing dairy cows with the right mix of nutrients at the lowest possible cost using locally available resources. Feeding costs constitute 60-80% of the total production costs
How do we balance modern feeding practices with traditional African dairy systems to ensure cultural relevance and sustainability?
By understanding how to feed the cow for maximum health and production!
Feeding a Cow for milk production
Feeding a Dairy cow of 650kgs, producing 50kgs of milk per day.
Maintenance Peak prod.
Proteins, Kg 0.428 4.6
NEl, Mcal 10.30 44
Ca (g) 26 176
P (g) 19 110
TMR feed formulation
- Forage : Concentrates ratio
- Protein : Energy ratio
- Feed to Gain ratio
Key components:
High-yield Forages
Legume Integration
Crop Residues and agro by-products
Silage and Hay – Preserve surplus forage through silage or haymaking
Mix minerals with forage and concentrates (TMR)
Offer free-choice mineral blocks
Balanced Rationing – Use tools or simple apps like MOD-RAFT
Regular Water Supply
Zero-Waste Practices
Above reduces feed costs between 30–50% and improve milk yields sustainably.
Appropriate feeding technologies
Maximizing production from small areas
Minimizing feed waste
Ensuring year-round nutrition.
Key solutions include:
Intensive Fodder Cultivation
Inter-cropping grasses with legumes
Vertical and Bag Farming – growing forage in vertical sacks, bags, or containers
Silage Making – ferment chopped forages
Hay Production
Crop Residue Utilization (Urea/mollases)
Mineral Supplementation (Severe deficiency)
Zero-Grazing Units (Pseudo Zero)
Feed Choppers
Manure Recycling
4 Prong multifaceted approach,
- Policy Support
- Training and Skills Transfer
- Infrastructure Development
- Sustainable Resource Management
Opportunities in Feeding Systems
- Fodder Production and Supply
- Investing in high-yielding and easily propagated pastures
- Incorporating forages into cropping systems
- Adding value to low-quality roughages are viable strategies.
Feed Processing and Distribution
Developing local feed processing units
Collaborations and Partnerships between farmer cooperatives and feed stores
Training and Extension Services
Providing farmers with training on forage production, conservation, and feeding practices Establishing a toll-free Cow Call Centre
Exchange Visits, Bench-marking Trips and Study Tours
Access to Finance and Inputs
Facilitating access to affordable credit
Subsidies or matching grants
Impact of Strategic Feeding Systems Investments
- Increased productivity, profitability, and sustainability in the dairy sector.
- 30% increase in dairy household incomes
- Over 4,000 new direct employment opportinities
- Improved nutritional security for households (Climate-smart agriculture)
Innovative Feeding Technologies
- Mobile Applications Zirakamwa App for Feed Management
- Rwanda Dairy Farm Assessment and Advisory Tool (RDFAAT) App
- Participatory Feed Assessment (FEAST) Tool (FEAST)
Forage Improvement, Preservation and Conservation
- Introduction of high-yielding forages
- Training in silage-making and hay production
Investment Opportunities
More investments in local dairy farms, dairy tech, and dairy infrastructure, smart investments
Commitment – Commit to concrete steps that can be taken post-conference, whether it’s through knowledge sharing, investing in local projects, or supporting policy reforms.
Conclusion
President Kagame must have believed that a litre of milk could be more powerful than a barrel of oil. The Story of Resilience, Revival and Milk.
Rwanda milk potential – 5,618,478 liters of milk per day
Rwanda’s dairy revolution is not just a dream.
It is an inevitable reality.
One Cow, One Farmer, One Investment at a time.
The world is fast changing. The time for Africa’s Dairy revolution is now.
Alex Gathii is the Founder & Managing Director Tanolope Consultancy Limited
