Rwanda's dairy sector, contributing 10 percent to the country's agricultural gross domestic product, is poised for growth with a $24.3 million loan from Poland. The loan agreement, signed by Rwanda's Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, the Polish national development bank, marks the first sovereign loan provided by a Polish bank, highlighting the growing cooperation between the two countries. The funds will be used to acquire a milk cooling system and related equipment from the Polish refrigeration solutions provider, Faspol, aiming to improve the handling and preservation of fresh milk in Rwanda.
This investment involves the delivery of nearly four hundred cooling installations to local milk collection points, reducing losses due to improper storage practices and increasing dairy production capacity in the country. Rwanda's fresh milk production reached over 861 million liters in 2019, and the investment in cooling and storage infrastructure is expected to further boost the dairy sector, contributing to Rwanda's socio-economic development.