Rwandan Farmers Face Looming Crop Failure in Agriculture Season 2026A

Across Rwanda, particularly in the Eastern and Southern Provinces, farmers are raising alarms over the prolonged dry spells that are devastating their fields. Once lush and promising farmlands are now parched, with maize, beans, vegetables, and sorghum showing severe drought stress. Many farmers report that they no longer expect meaningful yields in the ongoing 2026A agricultural season, describing the situation as “one of the toughest in recent memory.”

In lowlands, hillsides, and remote settlements, the erratic rainfall patterns have disrupted farmers’ daily lives and threatened their primary source of income. Bean plants have wilted, maize has turned prematurely yellow, cabbage heads have stopped forming, and Irish potatoes remain stunted. Areas that once promised food security are now empty fields, and communities worry about coping if the harvest fails nationwide.

In Nyagatare District, Rwinamira Cell, Théoneste Kalisa, a 43-year-old father of five, stands beside his two-hectare field of beans and maize, now completely dry. Despite using improved seeds, the harsh sun and prolonged lack of rain destroyed his crops before they could mature. “We kept waiting for the rains as forecasted, but they never came,” Kalisa says. “Everything dried before forming seeds. I don’t know how we will survive until the next season.”

In Bugesera District, Gashora Sector, Esperance Uwamahoro, a 36-year-old vegetable farmer specializing in cabbages and tomatoes, describes a similar disaster. Her once-flourishing vegetables have dried up, leaving her without supplies for the Kigali market, where she had expected to earn a vital income for her family.

Further south in Nyaruguru District, Minazi Sector, Jean Claude Nshimiyimana, an Irish potato farmer, laments the dramatic shift in weather patterns. “You don’t need to be a scientist to see that something has changed,” he says. “This land used to be productive, but now the heat is extreme and the rains are unpredictable.”

MINAGRI: Government Steps in to Support Affected Farmers

The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) says it is closely monitoring the situation and is ready to support communities facing severe food shortages. Eugène Kwibuka, MINAGRI’s Communications Officer, emphasizes that the government is prepared to act where it is needed most.

Planned interventions include emergency food assistance for the hardest-hit households, distribution of drought-tolerant seeds, expansion of irrigation schemes in Eastern Province and other drought-prone areas, and strengthening collaboration with local authorities to ensure farmers receive timely climate and agricultural guidance.

Kwibuka also noted that the government is working with research institutions to increase the availability of resilient crop varieties capable of withstanding extended dry periods.

Experts warn that Rwanda is increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Rainfall that traditionally arrived gradually is now delayed, concentrated in heavy downpours, or absent in critical planting periods.

Recent agricultural assessments highlight that maize yields in some districts have dropped by over 10% due to erratic rainfall. Beans, Rwanda’s most-consumed staple crop, are particularly vulnerable to heat stress. Many farmers are planting at suboptimal times because traditional rainfall patterns no longer apply, increasing the risk of crop loss, food shortages, and rising prices.

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) stresses that sustainable environmental practices are key to mitigating climate impacts. Poor practices such as burning waste, deforestation for charcoal, improper land use, and soil degradation reduce rainfall reliability, worsen droughts, and threaten agricultural productivity.

REMA encourages communities to plant trees, reduce reliance on charcoal, protect soils through terracing, and adopt sustainable land-management techniques, all of which help farmers adapt to the changing climate.

For farmers like Kalisa, Uwamahoro, and Nshimiyimana, the outlook remains uncertain. While some areas have received minor rainfall, vast regions remain dry, leaving farmers anxiously waiting for the skies to open.

Farmers are calling for long-term solutions, including expanded irrigation infrastructure, stronger cooperatives, increased access to improved seeds, and broader adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. As Rwanda navigates these evolving climate challenges, the resilience of its farmers remains central to the nation’s food security.