The Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), in collaboration with the International Dairy Federation (IDF), Rwanda National Dairy Platform (RNDP), and Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF), hosted the Regional Dairy Conference Africa from 29^th May to 1^st June, 2025 in Kigali. 

Under the theme: “Sustainable Dairy for a Prosperous Africa”, this conference brought together global and continental dairy experts, industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, private sectors, and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to share insights, foster partnerships and chart a path forward for a thriving and sustainable dairy industry across Africa.

During the official opening ceremony of the event, the Minister of MINAGRI, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, highlighted that the dairy sector contributes to both food security and economic growth. 

Hon. Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda delivering his remarks. 

He said that the collaboration among governments, development partners, the private sector, farmers and farmers’ cooperatives, contributed to Rwanda’s dairy sector growth and the milk production tripled as it rose from 334,727 MT in 2010 to 1,092,430 MT in 2024, while annual per capita milk consumption doubled with an increase from 37.3 to 79.9 liters. 

Minister Bagabe added that adopting advanced technologies to promote genetic improvement, adequate feeds and veterinary services, can raise productivity by up to 30 percent as innovation is key to our region’s competitiveness and sustainability.

When he was giving his remarks, IDF President, Gilles Froment, highlighted that the dairy sector’s global impact is very significant, nourishing about six billion people, providing livelihood to more than one billion individuals, through more than 150 million households around the world. 

This year’s IDF Dairy Africa conference, coincided with the World Milk Day, celebrated globally on 1^st June. This day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to recognize the importance of milk as a global food and to highlight the essential role of the dairy sector in nutrition, economic development, and sustainable food systems.

At the official closing ceremony of this event on 31^st May, the Honourable Minister of State of MINAGRI, Eric Rwigamba, indicated this world milk day as a great opportunity to honour the millions of dairy farmers, processors, veterinarians, and traders across our continent who wake up each day to nourish our communities. 

He called upon all participants from government, academia, development partners, and the private sector, to continue this dialogue beyond Kigali for building resilient dairy systems that serve both farmers and consumers, anchored in science, sustainability, and equity.

This event hosted over 350 delegates from more than 17 countries including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, India, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States, France and the hosting nation, Rwanda.

Rwanda’s selection as the host country of this high-level event, underscores its growing role as a hub for agricultural innovation and regional cooperation. The IDF Dairy Conference Africa 2025 served as a catalyst for impactful dialogue, actionable strategies, and long-term partnerships across the dairy value chain.

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