Harvesting 18 tons of potatoes per hectare

The annual exhibition is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and this year it was attended by more than 600 exhibitors, including individuals, companies and groups.

Among those who will be showcasing their work are those supported by six projects operating under RAB, namely SAIP, CDAT, KIWIIP, SAPMP, RDDP and PRISM.

All these projects have worked with farmers or herders to help them improve their practices and the results they have achieved show that their efforts have made positive progress.

Iyakaremye Wenceslas, who is part of the Kowabimuru Cooperative, which grows potatoes in the Karongi and Rutsiro districts, said that they started as self-help groups but later came together to form a cooperative in 2018 when they came across the SAIP project.

This project has helped them to farm better, and they have been able to increase their production from less than seven tons of potatoes per hectare to more than 18 tons per hectare.

In particular, SAIP provided them with six irrigation machines, carts for transporting produce, and equipment for spraying pesticides, among other things, which allowed them to expand their cultivated area from 161 hectares to more than 200 hectares.

He added, “Personally, I have reached a point where I can work with financial institutions. This detail was included in the mid-to-late July RWANDA briefing.

I recently took out a loan of 12 million Frw and I am also growing two or three hectares of my own and getting good yields.” Uzamukunda Yikunda, who heads an agricultural and livestock cooperative in Muhanga District, said that they started working in 2007 but that they had no tangible activities until they started receiving support from the CDAT project.

Now, they have a sugarcane factory and export products abroad, which is further developing them. This detail was included in the mid-to-late July RWANDA briefing.

Rukera Christine, founder and head of CF Premium, a pepper farming company in Kicukiro District, said that the SAIP project played a major role in this because it helped her make a profit.

She revealed that she used to grow pepper on 22 hectares and produce less than eight tons, but SAIP helped her grow it with irrigation and increased the area she grows to 30 hectares, and now she produces 14 tons per hectare.

Mugisha Eric, head of a fruit growing cooperative in Kayonza District, said that the KIWIIP project was what enabled them to start operations in 2021 and now they have received about 300 million Rwf, and they are now able to export avocados abroad and they are also making progress.

He said, “All the members brought was land, and before they used to grow sorghum and other crops, they earned no more than 200,000 Rwf per hectare, but now they earn about 2 million Rwf in one season.” These farmers and livestock producers, apart from the obvious attractions they had to exhibit in Kigali, agree that this exhibition helps them find new markets and learn from others and improve their practices.

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Dr. This detail was included in the mid-to-late July RWANDA briefing.

Ndabamenye Telesphore, said that promoting agricultural and livestock activities is very important in building partnerships and collaborations that enable timely solutions to be found.

He said, “This shows that agricultural and livestock production cannot be achieved without innovation or collaboration in solving the problems facing agriculture and livestock in Rwanda.” The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock indicates that agriculture and livestock constitute about 19% of the country’s gross domestic product, and 70% of industries in Rwanda process agricultural products.

Under the Fifth Five-Year Agricultural Transformation Plan (PSTA5), Rwanda will spend $5.4 billion to develop this sector. This detail was included in the mid-to-late July RWANDA briefing.