Speech of Rwanda’s PM at the launch of the IFPRI 2019 Global Food Policy Report

The following is the speech of the Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Dr. Ngirente Edouard, pronounced at the launch of the IFPRI 2019 Global Food Policy Report in Kigali, today May 03, 2019.

• Honourable Ministers,
• Dr. Shenggen Fan, the Director General of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI),
• Members of Diplomatic Corps,
• Development partners,
• Distinguished Guests,

A very good morning!

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome to Rwanda all participants to this gathering. Particularly, I want to thank the leadership of IFPRI led by Dr. Shenggen, for their consistent engagement in strengthening the partnership between IFPRI and the Rwandan Government.

Under your leadership, Dr. Shenggen, IFPRI and Rwanda have worked together to enhance capacity for evidence-based policy. This is already playing a key input role in the fight against malnutrition, and in accelerating agricultural transformation.

Today IFPRI is launching, here in Rwanda, the “Global Food Policy Report 2019” whose main focus is rural revitalization. I wish therefore to thank the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) for deciding to launch this report here in Kigali.

The findings of this report clearly show that Rwanda is on the right path to Africa’s journey to revitalize its rural areas. Indeed, Rwanda highly appreciates this report. It details, with evidenced-based facts, the urgency of rural revitalization in order to address the crisis of food insecurity in rural areas.

We strongly believe that this report will contribute to the emergence of global food policy shifts towards high investment and capitalization for competitiveness of the agriculture sector. This will lead to more agriculture outputs and rural transformation.

• Distinguished Guests,

In Rwanda, we have made some concrete progress in rural revitalization. It is at the centre of our national development vision, strategies and programmes. As example, the Strategic Plan for Agricultural Transformation (PSTA 4), which was launched in January 2018, aims at significantly increasing productivity of different inputs invested in agricultural sector, and promoting market linkages and value addition to agriculture produce.

PSTA 4 is therefore a comprehensive Government strategy to achieve food security. It has clear actions to increase labour and land productivity, linking farmers to lucrative markets and promoting sustainable production systems. Full implementation of PSTA 4 strategy will have a tangible impact on rural transformation. It will also create jobs for a good proportion of our citizens who are generally youth.

To improve the participation of youth in agriculture, the government of Rwanda provides through trainings, skills in agribusiness and entrepreneurship. In addition, the government has created an enabling environment for the private sector to invest in agriculture value chains where Rwanda has a comparative advantage. Furthermore, the government has increased its efforts to put in place physical agriculture market infrastructures to allow farmers generate more money from their produce.

With these initiatives, we are very confident that we will be able to advance our agricultural transformation. In so doing, we are projecting to meet, by 2030, the SDGs targets of ending poverty in all its forms everywhere, end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Distinguished Guests,

The 2019 Global Food Policy report captures some of Rwanda’s home grown solutions such as Imihigo/performance contracts. This is an indication that the world recognises our governance approach towards achieving community targets and delivering a better life for all. This is much appreciated.

Africa has made a lot of progress in transforming agriculture. However, we still have some challenges. Some of them include insufficient investment, issues of agricultural mechanization, a limited number of youth in agriculture and professional farmers, climate change and low capacities to cope with the price volatility and requirements of international markets.

To address these issues, policy makers must continue empowering of agriculture professionals, strengthening research with emphasis on data collection, analysis, and implementation of the results. We have also to increase our investment in agriculture as well as promoting the use of modern technologies.

In this regard, Rwanda appreciates IFPRI’s partneship in the area of building technical skills for policy analysis, specifically competencies in data management, analysis, and interpretation with cutting-edge tools, methods, and models.

Rwanda looks forward to continuing its collaboration with IFPRI on our development journey, through Rwanda Strategy Support Program.

As I conclude, I would like to thank once again IFPRI for having produced this report which is a very important tool for policy makers. I also thank our Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and its partners, for having successfully organized this important event.

With these remarks, it is now my pleasure to declare the IFPRI 2019 Global Food Policy Report officially launched in Kigali, Rwanda.

I thank you for your kind attention.

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