Rwanda: The newly introduced jersey cows to improve dairy breed cattle

The government of Rwanda through Rwanda Agriculture and Animal resources Board (RAB)in joint partnership with Send a cow Rwanda as stakeholder taking a lead in increasing the Jersey breed among the farmers .the jersey cows that are world-widely known to produce more milk and require less effort comparing to other dairy cows like Holstein Friesian.

One Jersey cow can produce between 12-20 liters of Milk of good quality a day when is well managed with less feed intake of Water and feed .if One cow consume 10% of dry matters , jersey consume 30% less compared to Friesian

Farmers in Nyanza district of Southern province whom visited told UM– USEKE that this breed is improving livelihood as now they are getting enough and qualitative milk from Jersey cows. In addition to this they are getting money from the surplus milk to the market after consuming.

In Most region of the country, you will see low number of the farmer who rear this dairy breed (Jersey) However, this is the concern of Government of Rwanda with different Partners to make awareness of this good dairy breed and Send a cow Rwanda is underpinning this by working hands in hands with RAB.

However, this new species is of a great importance to the farmers as for it they produce more milk while the rate of feed and water intake is less.

One of the Farmer, and a Send a cow Rwanda Beneficiary who used to domesticate the local breed so called Ankole, said to Umuseke that she is now farming the Jersey cows where she is beefing from the production of Milk and one of her cow of Jersey cow is able to produce between 9-12 Liters per day 

Kanyange ,being trained by Send a cow  about cows management and being aware of Genetic Improvement through artificial insemination, Her livestock out changed  for good and she now benefiting from the improved Intensive farming  systemadopting Jersey breed a cow that give a high protein content  milk.

“I have been domesticating cows for 19 years. Local breed of cattle that were not producing much milk as the jersey cows do. One of the local breed produced between three to four liters of milk a day. However, the jersey cows produce more than twice bigger than the local breed cows.” Kanyange said.

She said that it was difficult for to get organic fertilizer (Manure) to use in her agricultural activities.

Currently she is appreciating to have acquired with skills in the new farming systemthat is providing enough organic fertilizer to help in growing the crop i.e her banana plantations.

The production from both banana plantations and jersey farming provides her with at least one million Frw, a year.

Some of her neighbors use to visit her and learn on how she manages to make her livestock more productive  

Among those who come learn from her include Nzaramba Innocent from Ntyazo sector.

Nzaramba said that he knew how to use an artificial insemination as way to improve milk production.

One of the veterinarians at the Send a Cow Rwanda said that formerly farmers thought that using traditional ways which is bull service to make their cows was very effective but it is not

However Alfred Musafiri, Project facilitator, said that after regular and intensive training, farmers are currently knowledgeable on how important to adopt new intensive farming system is.

We can include here: proper and efficient feeding system, Herd management and farmers should provide enough water to the cows. Building of Cattle shed and /or building good shelter is amongst the animal welfare and is a concern.

This shed  has a feeding area (where animal use to be fed), an appendix where the cow finds and tastes a mineral block for supplements of minerals

The cows shed also has resting area for napping and sleeping.

UM– USEKE.RW