Bridging Gaps in Rwanda’s Agricultural Investment: A Path to Sustainable Growth
A group of tea pluckers make their way across a hillside on the Kitabi tea estate to a weighing station. Tea production in Rwanda.
Agriculture sector economic analysts emphasize the importance of focusing on the agriculture sector as it has the potential to reduce the country’s reliance on costly imports while increasing domestic production. Strengthening agriculture could also boost production for both processing industries and exports.
While Rwanda has made significant strides in agricultural development over the past 30 years, stakeholders in the sector highlight several key issues that require government attention; these include the need for increased investment to better support the youth, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities to thrive in agriculture.
On the other hand, the agriculture sector has consistently faced challenges, including climate change. Rwanda is actively seeking a solution.
Hon. Jean Claude Ntezimana emphasized the need for large-scale irrigation strategies to address these challenges effectively.
He said, “We need to establish an agriculture system that is not dependent on weather; whether it is for those who cultivate during the rainy season or who use irrigation systems, this approach would help us increase agricultural productivity as well as productivity in livestock.”
“It will also enable us to produce more for processing industries and also have enough for export.”
The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, explains that the government has committed to making substantial investments in irrigation projects as a key solution to the challenges posed by prolonged periods of sunlight.
He said, “That’s why the government of Rwanda is investing heavily in irrigation on a large scale; agricultural zones have been merged, and residents with small plots of land, such as half of hectares near rivers, are being supported. This allows them to cultivate high-yield crops that are profitable, such as fruits, vegetables, tomatoes, and others.”
Under the 5-year National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), plans are in place to increase agriculture and livestock loans from 6% to 10%.
Economic analysts considering the depreciation of the Rwandan franc believe that investing in agricultural development could offer a sustainable solution to this issue.
Across the African continent, 50 million US dollars is still spent annually on imported food; as of nearly 2024, Rwanda scored 8.7 out of 10 in its progress towards implementing the Malabo Declaration on agriculture; no other African country has reached the expected average score of 9.29 out of 10 as outlined in the report.
The 2014 Malabo report’s full implementation is being addressed at a summit of African heads of state and government in Kampala, Uganda.
