Empowering Communities: IFAD Praises Progress of the Rwanda’s PSAC Project

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has lauded the promising progress of the Promoting Smallholder Agro-Export Competitiveness Project (PSAC), a key initiative implemented by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) to support the inclusion of rural communities in targeted export-driven value chains, by increasing their climate-resilient productive capacity and market access.

This progress was highlighted during a two-week IFAD mission from 23rd September to 4th October 2024, to assess the implementation of the PSAC Project.  The mission kicked off with in-depth discussions between IFAD consultants, NAEB management, and the PSAC team, focusing on the project’s current status, challenges faced, and potential solutions to improve implementation. Following the discussions, the mission team embarked on a three-day field visit to various districts where PSAC operates, engaging local authorities and beneficiaries to gain firsthand insight into the project’s impact at the grassroots level.

Meetings with local authorities emphasized the importance of strengthened collaboration in the PSAC project’s implementation, especially in mobilizing beneficiaries to fully capitalize on PSAC’s opportunities and the need for regular joint monitoring of project progress.  While the overall project implementation status is positive, challenges were acknowledged, with innovative strategies proposed to accelerate implementation.

In the field, the IFAD team engaged directly with beneficiaries, including community groups involved in seedling production for coffee, tea, and horticultural crops. The team also met with farmers, cooperatives, coffee washing stations, and tea factories. Beneficiaries across the districts reported positive feedback, citing early improvements in their livelihoods despite PSAC being in its initial stages.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to prepare coffee seedlings, which we believe will help alleviate poverty. For many of us, this is the first time we have seen money deposited into our bank accounts,” said Florence Mukamuna, a leader of a community group involved in coffee seedling production in Huye District.

IFAD Country Director Dagmawi Habte-Selassie, who participated in the mission, praised the progress achieved by the PSAC project and advocated for continued engagements with farmers and other stakeholders.

“It was inspiring to witness the energy and enthusiasm for the project. The beneficiaries are already thinking beyond this project. It gives me confidence that PSAC is addressing the challenges farmers face. This mission provided valuable insights, and we look forward to continuing these engagements”, Dagmawi stated.

PSAC is designed to foster inclusive rural transformation by empowering smallholder farmers in coffee, tea, and horticulture, with the goal of benefiting 56,695 households and positively impacting approximately 255,128 individuals across 14 districts in Rwanda over its six-year lifespan.