Rwandese enterprise turns cassava peels into affordable livestock feed

RWANDA – A groundbreaking technology to convert cassava peels into nutritious animal feed is set to reduce Rwanda’s dependence on costly imported cereals, offering farmers a cheaper and more sustainable alternative.

The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) says the initiative, developed in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), could significantly cut feed costs for poultry, pig and dairy producers, while boosting incomes for cassava growers and processors.

“Producing animal feed from cassava peels will cut the amount of cereals previously imported for mixing with other feeds. This will increase income for farmers and livestock keepers, especially since imported feed is not only expensive but often in short supply,” said Jules Mutabazi, a researcher at RAB.

While the peels are deficient in different amino acids and minerals, their importance as an energy source allows farmers to replace grains like maize, hence lowering the cost of feed production.

Rising demand for animal feed

Rwanda’s animal feed imports are forecast to grow from 1.1 million kilogrammes in 2023 to about 1.29 million kilogrammes by 2028, according to the Rwanda Animal Feed Industry Outlook 2024–2028. 

Since 2001, demand has increased at an average annual rate of 4.4 per cent, driven by the expansion of livestock farming.

Animal feed costs remain a major burden, accounting for around 70 per cent of poultry production expenses. High prices for imported maize and soya beans have pushed up retail prices of meat, eggs and milk, making locally produced alternatives essential.

To address the gap, RAB and IITA have trained at least 35 cassava and livestock entrepreneurs in processing techniques. Among them is Alice Nyirasagamba, who operates a cassava processing plant in Kamonyi District. 

She buys cassava peels for Rwf10 (US$0.007) per kilogramme, dries them to neutralise toxins, and produces 28–30 kilogrammes of animal feed from every 100 kilogrammes of raw peels.

The processed feed, sold at Rwf150–Rwf200 (US$0.1-0.14)per kilogramme, is suitable for cows, poultry and pigs. Nyirasagamba’s plant employs 56 women in production and also processes Akanoze flour.

Safe, nutritious and scalable

Processing involves collecting fresh peels, removing dirt, washing thoroughly, drying for eight hours to reduce moisture and eliminate cyanide, and grinding into powder for easy mixing in feed formulations.

Cassava’s naturally occurring cyanogenic glycosides, which release toxic cyanide, are neutralised through proper drying or treatments such as soaking, fermenting or boiling.

“Lab tests have confirmed the nutritional value of cassava peel-based feeds. It takes eight hours to dry and remove cyanide. Production should now be scaled up,” said Justine Mucyo, IITA’s Agribusiness Specialist and manager of the Rural-Urban Nexus project in Rwanda, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Kamonyi District alone grows cassava on at least 7,000 hectares each year, with yields reaching up to 100 kilogrammes per tree, according to district agriculture head Justin Mukiza.

Entrepreneur Jean Claude Kabayiza said access to finance will be vital for expansion. “I want to set up a large-scale plant for cassava flour and animal feed, but will start small due to limited funds,” he said.

For livestock farmer Noella Mutoni, the new feeds have already replaced costly maize in her operations. “A kilogramme of maize for animal feed costs Rwf650 (US$0.45), while cassava peel-based feeds sell for between Rwf200 (US$0.14) and Rwf250 (US$0.17). This could lower market prices significantly,” she said.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.