Rwanda’s Fertilizer Utilization Doubles in Seven Years, Spearheading Agricultural Transformation

On the first day of the 19th National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano), the Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard NGIRENTE, presenting the seven-year achievements of the National Strategy for Transformation Program (NST1), stated that the use of fertilizers has reached 70.3 kg per hectare per year, while in 2017, 32 kg were used.

Dr. Ngirente said that the government has increased the amount of ‘Smart Nkuganire’ (SNS) platform allocated to farmers after the prices of fertilizers on the international market continued to increase, and that the progress made on the rate of fertilizer use is good because Rwanda is above the rate of fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa, which is about 25 kg per year.

Dr. Ngirente continued that despite the positive progress made, the country still has a long way to go because, around the world, it has been found that some places reach 150 kg per hectare.

He said, “We will continue to increase the amount of fertilizer we use because, as you know, we have opened a fertilizer mixing factory (fertilizer blending plant) in Bugesera District, which will help us a lot in this journey.”

This factory will produce 100,000 tons of fertilizer per year, according to the conditions of the land in different regions of the country. This subsidy program (Nkunganire) has greatly helped farmers increase the amount of fertilizer and improved seeds they use by more than two times.