The event took place yesterday at the new Masaka Creamery’s factory in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Gasabo District.
In the start of the year, Masaka Creamery received a Rwf234 Million grant from USAID, that it used to acquire new dairy processing equipment, cold storage equipment, and milk quality laboratory equipment.
USAID’ support to Masaka Creamery has helped the company build and equip a new processing facility in Kigali SEZ, where the firm successfully transitioned equipment and operations from a previous factory in Masaka District. The new factory has an additional processing line, new packaging equipment, a laboratory to monitor and improve product quality and food hygiene, as well as ample room to grow with the company.
The investments made by Masaka Creamery with USAID support have boosted the company’s annual domestic sales by 200 percent, supported the development of eight new products (fresh cream, sour cream, butter, ghee, mascarpone, fruit yogurt, thick yogurt, ikivuguto), and contributed to local economic development by enabling an increase of income by 20 percent for 2,000 milk farmers in the Eastern and Northern Provinces.
The new products have received the Rwanda Standards Board quality standard certification and are currently being sold to high-end hotels, restaurants and retail markets.
Masaka Creamery, which sources milk directly from small family-owned dairy farms, cooperatives, and milk collection centers also provides extension services and training to farmers. The company has established a new partnership with KOZAMGI milk cooperative located in Gicumbi District, which provides raw milk from 2,000 farmers, supplying between 6,000 – 7,000 liters per week to Masaka Creamery.
‘‘Working with Masaka Creamery is a relief to our cooperative. We can now invest in new projects, because we have a regular client who consistently pays us on a weekly basis”. Says Ntabanganyimana Rachid, the president of KOZAMGI milk cooperative
In addition to its expansion, Masaka Creamery’s operations has helped create 11 new jobs for which nine of the new hires are persons with disabilities. ‘‘We are grateful to Masaka Creamery for having particularly employed the youth regardless of their disability status. This is a perfect example of social inclusion and we hope that other businesses will draw into their footprints”. Says Jean Damascene, a representative of disabled workers at Masaka Creamery.
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