THE CONTRIBUTION OF DAIRY PROJECTS TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL PEOPLE IN BURERA DISTRICT A CASE OF RWANDA DAIRY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (2018-2023)

Abstract

The dairy sector has major strategic importance in socioeconomic development of rural people. For this reason, the government of Rwanda has made significant investments in the sector. It seeks to move beyond subsistence farming towards a business-oriented, modern dairy sector. The researcher intentions are to assess the contribution of dairy projects to socio economic development of rural people in Burera District. The study objectives were to assess the activities of Rwanda Dairy Development Project in Burera District, to assess the socio economic impact of dairy farming in Burera District and to find out the challenges that project face that hinder to achieve its objectives. In conducting this study, a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research design was used. The findings showed that RDDP is assisting dairy farmers in capacity building, providing to them forage seeds for, distributing dairy cows that are more productive, promoting animal health, supporting in milk collection infrastructures. Challenges like limited access to resources, climate change vulnerability, limited technical skills and knowledge, informal market of milk poor animal nutrition and shortage of food, price of dairy products too high for a large part of they are still hindering the project to achieve its objectives fully. Then the study recommends enhancing access to resources, promoting climate resilient practices, strengthening technical skills and knowledge to farmers and promoting many livestock farmer field school.