Strengthening smallholder engagement and integration in the Rwandan commercial broiler value chain

SUMMARY

The emerging broiler value chain in Rwanda has the potential to increase domestic meat supply to meet increasing demand for protein and micronutrients and address the challenge of stunting. Smallholders operate the majority of farm enterprises in Rwanda but have typically been limited to village poultry production. Meanwhile, larger modern enterprises have been the primary suppliers of broilers to the commercial market. However, hybrid, asset-building broiler operations are a third production model that represent a potential avenue for smallholder poultry intensification. The integration of this model into the Rwandan broiler sector provides greater opportunity for domestic producers to meet Rwandan government targets for the supply of animal-sourced foods, while generating livelihood opportunities for smallholders. This paper provides an overview of the commercial broiler value chain and outlines lessons learned from a pilot project that employed this third production model. Challenges to smallholder engagement in the Rwanda commercial broiler value chain cut across input supply, production, post-harvest and marketing, and have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, multiple opportunities exist to strengthen smallholder engagement and integration into the Rwandan commercial broiler value chain. These include: reducing the recurring costs of production; providing value chain trainings; facilitating microfinancing; reducing post-harvest costs; increasing local demand for broiler meat; and strengthening policies in support of smallholders.

KEYWORDS:

• Animal sourced foods
• poultry
• agricultural intensification
• small livestock
• Africa

Notes

1. PAFI is now African Solutions Limited (AfriSol), a Zimbabwean firm which has been investing in Rwanda since 2018.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of The University of Tennessee and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. This review was completed with the financial support of USAID/Rwanda and the African Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) Foundation as a Global Development Alliance, Tworore Inkoko, Twunguke (Let’s raise chickens for profit). The research on Tworore Inkoko, Twunguke was led by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (USAID Cooperative Agreement No.: AID-696-A-17-00006) with a sub-award to Zamura Feeds Limited, Ruhengeri, Rwanda.

Notes on contributors

Tom Gill

Tom Gill currently serves as the Smith Chair in International Sustainable Agriculture and Director of International Programs at the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture, leading strategic vision and global program development. Gill has served as President (2019-2020) of the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD) and as Chair (2015-16) of the International Agriculture Section for the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU). His experience and research interests include smallholder household decision-making in sustainable agroecosystems and participatory approaches to capacity development, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. He holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida, an M.Sc. in Tropical Agricultural Development from the University of Reading, U.K., and a B.A. and M.A. in Geography from the University of Cambridge, U.K.

Regis Nisengwe

Régis Nisengwe was born and raised in Kigali, Rwanda where he did his undergraduate studies in environmental science at the University of Rwanda. After his undergraduate degree, he came to the United States as a MasterCard Foundation Scholar and completed his Master of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Management and Policy at Michigan State University. His thesis investigated farmers’ risk attitudes and perceptions of climate change in northern Rwanda. After his Master’s degree, Régis returned to Rwanda and worked with nonprofit organizations and consulting firms involved in natural resources and agriculture. In the summer of 2019, Régis came back to the US to pursue his Ph.D. in Natural Resources at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries. Régis is particularly interested in the human dimensions of natural resources and is working under the supervision of Dr. Adam Willcox.

Hans Goertz

Hans Goertz is a Project Development Specialist with the international programs office at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.  In this role, he supports global engagement across the Institute by building faculty teams and international partnerships around external funding opportunities for research, extension and education.  Hans comes from a multidisciplinary background in development studies at the University of Florida, with a focus on program design and evaluation.  He has served in various research, development and disaster relief roles in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Broadly, his research focuses on the adoption of agricultural technologies by smallholder farmers and sustainable intensification.

David Ader

David Ader works as an interdisciplinary scholar in the fields of sustainable agriculture and rural development. He currently works as the Assistant Director and Research Assistant Professor in the Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Tennessee. His expertise and research interests include population dynamics of rural communities, sustainable agriculture development for smallholder farmers, and nutrition sensitive agricultural approaches for development. Ader holds a dual PH.D from Penn State University in Rural Sociology and Demography. His current research focuses on rural communities in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America.

Katie McGehee

Katie McGehee is the Director of the non-profit African Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP). McGehee has overseen efforts to build a sustainable supply chain of seed, feed, chicks and meat to improve nutrition and incomes in Rwanda. She has worked with partners to launch a Rwandan-run feed mill, layer farm, and almost 500 smallholder broiler enterprises. These initiatives have brought together Rwandan and U.S. industry partners, the University of Tennessee, non-profits ASAP and OneEgg, and USAID. She previously worked for Tyson Foods for three years in various roles of increasing responsibility. Her research has focused on natural treatments for bacteria in USDA-certified organic poultry production, and the gendered dynamics of poultry production in Rwanda.

Ritah Nshuti

Ritah Nshuti is the Chief Operations Officer for an integrated agribusiness in Musanze, Rwanda engaged in poultry and feed production. Over the past seven years, Nshuti has grown Zamura Feeds, Ltd. into the leading feed mill in Rwanda, and consulted the Government of Rwanda and other stakeholders on the expansion of the domestic poultry industry. In this role she has also supported philanthropic and research-for-development projects, including serving as the Country Program Manager for USAID Feed the Future – Tworore Inkoko Twunguke Program, and the  Communications Liaison for the OneEgg Rwanda chapter.  Nshuti was trained in poultry business operations at Tyson Foods. She has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry.

Alon Gumisiriza

Alon Gumisiriza is a professional animal scientist based in Musanze, Rwanda. Gumisiriza joined Zamura Feeds, Ltd in June 2017 as a poultry technician for the USAID Feed the Future – Tworore Inkoko Twunguke Program. In this role, he successfully trained and supported almost 500 smallholder farmers to produce broiler chickens for the East African market. Since the program’s conclusion, he has become the Poultry Technician Manager. He is in charge of providing evidence-based training and technical assistance to the poultry technician team to ensure they deliver services to farmers that drive consistent profits for farmers and Zamura Feeds. He has consulted with other poultry producers, NGOs, and the Government of Rwanda on best practices for broiler production in Rwanda.  He has a B.Sc. degree with honors in Animal science from the National University of Rwanda.

Mike Smith

Michael O. Smith holds the PhD degree from Oklahoma State University. He became an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennes­see Institute of Agriculture, teaching undergraduate poultry production courses, mentor­ing graduate students and conducting research. His research focused on examination of physiological and nutritional factors involved with the growth and survival of heat stressed poultry and examination of the interaction between nutrients and the environment. He rose to the rank of Professor and served for two years as interim Assistant Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the university. He was named Emeritus Professor in 2019. He was undergraduate advisor for 60-80 students annually and served as scholarship coordinator for the Herbert College of Agriculture for 20 years.  Over the years he mentored 15 doctoral students, master’s students and visiting scholars, served on the graduate committees of 30 others and published more than 100 scientific articles.

Emily Urban

Emily Urban is a PhD candidate at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA) in Soil & Crop Sciences. From 2016-2019, Emily worked at the Smith International Center at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (Knoxville, TN, USA) coordinating the USAID/Rwanda Feed the Future Tworore Inkoko, Twunguke project, a smallholder poultry and livelihood improvement project based in Musanze District, Rwanda. Emily holds degrees in Agricultural Extension and Education (B.S.) and International Agriculture (Minor) from Penn State University and Agricultural and Environmental Education (M.S.) and International Agriculture (Certificate) from the University of Georgia.