Milk and cream market in Rwanda

Earlier Report Observations

The volume of Rwanda's milk and cream market increased from 275 thousand tons in 2018 to 300.3 thousand tons in 2020. This growth was supported by the government's Rwanda Dairy Development Project (RDDP), which modernized the dairy sector through improved production practices and collection infrastructure, and the Girinka program that introduced cross-bred cows to enhance productivity. By 2020, the sector's total milk production was estimated at around 920 million liters per year, indicating sustained expansion.

After peaking in 2020, the market volume declined to 286.3 thousand tons in 2021 and 273.8 thousand tons in 2022, before a partial recovery to 280.7 thousand tons in 2023. In 2024, Inyange Industries opened a new powdered milk plant with a capacity of 650 000 liters per day, and the government banned the export of raw milk to strengthen domestic supply. These developments, along with the certification of dairy products under the S-Mark standard, aimed to enhance local production quality and reduce import reliance.

Production milk and cream in Rwanda

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of milk and cream, 2017-2020

World map of production of milk and cream, 2017-2020

Rwanda's milk and cream production has grown for the third year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 301.7 thousand tons, marking a moderate 4.2% increase from the previous year. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, production rose by 8.1%, which translates to an average annual growth rate of 2.6%.

Annual dynamics of production in Rwanda in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports milk and cream from Rwanda

Exports in kind, t

The export market for milk and cream showed significant volatility during these years. In 2018, exports reached their highest point at 11,992 tons, but then dropped sharply to 1,067 tons in 2019—a decline of 91.1%. This was followed by a rebound in 2020, with exports rising to 1,364 tons, a substantial 27.9% increase from 2019. Overall, from 2018 to 2019, exports fluctuated by a factor of 11.2 times between the peak and trough.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Rwanda in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Rwanda's milk and cream exports were primarily directed to three key markets: Uganda accounted for 58.9% of exports in volume, Kenya for 17.8%, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 11.2%. Together, these three countries made up 88.0% of total export flows.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Rwanda in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Export values in monetary terms also experienced notable fluctuations. In 2018, exports peaked at 4,040 thousand US dollars, but then fell by 78.6% in 2019. By 2020, exports stabilized at 864 thousand US dollars, showing little change from the previous year. Over the period from 2018 to 2020, the difference between the highest and lowest values was 4.7 times.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Rwanda in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

In terms of value from 2017 to 2020, Uganda was the leading partner for Rwanda's milk and cream exports, with a 36.6% share. The Democratic Republic of the Congo followed at 22.0%, and South Sudan at 21.0%. Combined, these three markets represented 79.7% of total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Rwanda in value, 2017-2020

Imports milk and cream to Rwanda

Imports in kind, t

Import volumes for milk and cream in Rwanda displayed irregular patterns, reflecting a volatile market. In 2018, imports hit a high of 2,350 tons, but then plummeted to just 7 tons in 2020—a dramatic 96.7% drop from the previous year. This resulted in a 355-fold difference between the peak in 2018 and the low in 2020.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Rwanda in kind, 2017-2020, t

Between 2017 and 2020, Rwanda's imports of milk and cream were overwhelmingly dominated by Uganda, which supplied 97.5% of the total volume.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Rwanda in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Import values showed similar volatility. In 2018, they reached a peak of 1,951 thousand US dollars, but then declined sharply by 90.8% in 2019. By 2020, imports had fallen further to 18 thousand US dollars, a steep 90.1% decrease year-over-year. The amplitude between the 2018 high and 2020 low was 110 times.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Rwanda in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

From 2017 to 2020, Rwanda's import market in value terms was highly concentrated, with Uganda alone accounting for 93.7% of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Rwanda in value, 2017-2020