Rwanda: How Sri Lankan investment is revolutionizing strawberry farming in Kamonyi rural area

Residents of Mugina Sector, particularly the youth, have shared how they have benefited from a strawberry farming project backed by JAGRO, a Sri Lankan company. This investment has provided them with job opportunities that support their families.

Located in the Amayaga region, traditionally known as “Ku Mugina wa Jenda na Kabugondo,” in Kamonyi District, Southern Province, the area is typically known for its cultivation of crops such as cassava, beans, maize, and rice. JAGRO Rwanda Ltd, a subsidiary of the Sri Lankan company specializing in strawberry farming, has invested in this region, where it now operates on five hectares in Mbati Cell.

The use of modern irrigation technology and climate control systems, is at the core of the strawberry farming methods employed in Mugina. These practices are globally recognized for their efficiency, enabling daily yields of up to one ton under optimal conditions, as explained by an employee overseeing the project.

Birasa Nyamurinda, the manager of JAGRO Rwanda Ltd, pointed out that Rwanda’s stability, good governance, and favorable conditions for investors were key factors in the company’s decision to expand strawberry farming in the country. The region was chosen not only to improve employment but also to provide technological training in agriculture.

Udana Warnakulasooria, Chief Operating Officer at JAGRO Rwanda Limited, added, “Government institutions have been incredibly supportive since we began this project, and local communities, as well as private businesses, are now our partners and customers. Various organizations have helped us overcome challenges.”

He noted that although Rwanda is landlocked and faced with challenges like the transportation of equipment, the government has worked to improve road infrastructure, which has significantly assisted in delivering necessary materials. He also thanked companies involved in essential services like water and electricity, highlighting Rwanda Development Board as a key partner in overcoming obstacles.

Currently, the fresh strawberries are sold in the City of Kigali and surrounding areas, as well as exported to countries such as Congo Brazzaville, Uganda, Kenya, Dubai, and Bahrain. The company has also launched a small-scale factory that produces jam.

The primary work done in the three greenhouses operated by the company involves strawberry harvesting and care, with around 80 permanent employees handling the day-to-day operations.

Janvière Manishimwe, a worker from Mbati Cell, Mugina Sector, who has been with the project for a year, shared, “This job has been supporting my everyday life. I got hired right after finishing high school, and through my savings, I now have three pigs and three goats.”

Cyprien Ntaganda, another employee, explained how the project improved his life, saying, “Life was tough before, but now, with this job, things have changed. I can provide for my family’s basic needs. This project has brought major changes to the community, especially for the youth who now have job opportunities.”

The company also trains its employees in modern strawberry farming techniques, aiming to increase the number of people capable of working with the crop.

 “Every day, employees learn new agricultural technologies. We even took a group of Rwandans to Sri Lanka, and they have understood the techniques well. There is also a plan to expand investment, which will depend on the growth of the market for JAGRO Rwanda’s products”, Udana Warnakulasooria, highlighted.

Strawberry plants begin to bear fruit three to four months from the nursery stage and are harvested daily for a period of one year and two months.

Uzziel Niyongira, the Vice Mayor for economic affairs in Kamonyi District, expressed that, given the success of the project in Mugina and throughout the district, they will continue collaborating with national government leadership to attract and facilitate more investors, not only in agriculture but also in industry and services.

JAGRO opened its doors in 2003, revolutionizing the local agriculture industry & changing its landscape. It’s a family owned, Sri Lankan company that has become a cutting-edge organization in the field of agri-business in terms of technology, human skills development, management and business practices.