Jersey cows could be key to a better life for Rwandans

Saturday 14 January 2017

A new project which could boost the economy of one of the world’s poorest countries was announced earlier this week – with Jersey cows at its very heart.

Launched on Monday following a visit by a Rwandan delegation, a bid to send thousands of bull semen samples to the nation will see over 12,000 smallholder dairy farmers benefit from breeding a more productive herd.

With Jersey crossed cows able to produce up to eight times more milk than the native Ankole longhorns, the move should revolutionise the dairy farming industry, helping to strengthen the Rwandan economy. 

The two-year project, which will lead to the insemination of almost 200,000 cows annually, is being funded by the Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), and implemented by the Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticulture Society (RJA&HS) in partnership with charity Send a Cow.

The new initiative was the fruit of a meeting with Rwanda’s Finance Minister, Claver Gatete and the Rwandan Director General of Animal Resources, Dr Théogène Rutagwenda. It marks the next step in a cooperative relationship between the nations, which has seen the Jersey Cow become highly known and valued in the African country.

Pictured: A previous show of cooperation between nations: Senator Philip Ozouf signing a memorandum of understanding with Rwanda at the World Economic Forum in 2016.

Deputy Carolyn Labey, Chair of the JOA, described the Jersey cow as a, “…wonderful ambassador for our Island,” adding that the project constituted, “…sustainable development at its best.”

“People in Jersey should be enormously proud of the fact that we are making a permanent improvement to the quality of an entire nation’s dairy herd, and in so doing assisting many people out of poverty with better nutrition and onto better lives,” she commented.

President of RJA&HS Ian Mitchell echoed this sentiment.

He said: “As guardians of the breed in its island home, we are delighted that Rwanda is embracing the qualities of the Jersey cow. The high yields and high quality of the milk will assist Rwanda with the development of a world-class dairy industry, as well as benefitting thousands of poor farmers and their families.”