Rwanda is hosting the World Jersey Cattle Bureau meeting and tour, an annual event that is taking place from the 17th to 21st June 2019 in Kigali. Started in 1949, the annual event rotates among Jersey breeding countries.

The week-long event brought together around 120 participants including leading International Jersey breeders, Scientists and regional delegates and around 60 Rwandese Jersey Farmers, dairy stakeholders as well as technicians in the dairy industry.

This event is meant to create African Jersey Forum, encourage promotion of the Jersey breed, discuss improved methods of breeding, feeding and management of the Jersey breed, discuss research findings, innovations and best practices, the value of the Jersey milk compared to that of other breeds, build partnerships and share experiences on how best to harness the enormous potential exhibited by the jersey cow.
On the 4th day of the event, the participants also held a regional dairy workshop to discuss topics related to promoting jersey cattle breed; which is most suitable to many African countries.

Speaking at the opening of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau annual meeting, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Gerardine Mukeshimana, thanked the World Jersey Cattle Bureau for having chosen Rwanda to host this year’s conference.

She appreciated the Government of Jersey Island for partnering with Rwanda in promoting jersey cattle breed in the country and supporting the country’s dairy industry.
Rwanda has made strides in rebuilding her livestock sector in the last two and half decades since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi where an estimated 80% of the cattle were decimated. The cattle population that numbered 600,000 mainly local breeds before 1994 was reduced to 172,000 during the genocide against the Tutsi but the population now stands at 1.3 million comprising (41%) local breeds (43%) cross-breeds and (16%) pure breeds.
“Milk production has significantly increased from 50,000 MT in year 2000 to 816,000 MT in 2018; and we are happy that the jersey cattle has contributed a lot into this journey,” Minister Mukeshimana said.

The Jersey cattle are relatively a small breed which is raised primarily for milk production, and are popular and famous for high milk production with high butterfat (important in cheese and ghee making) of their milk.
Jersey cattle adapt well to various climates and production systems compared to other high producing exotic cattle. It can be the best cow for smallholder farmers in Rwanda because, Jersey cows eat less feeds compared to quantity of milk they produce; use forage well and adapt to hot environment.