Rulindo Farmers Expect Higher Production and Incomes from Shared Farming Skills and Experiences

Farmers in Rulindo district expect to increase agricultural production and household incomes by adopting improved farming techniques learned through farmer-to-farmer knowledge-sharing sessions supported by the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP II), as they seek to turn their farms into more productive and profitable enterprises.

The initiative is supported by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) through its Single Project Implementation Unit (SPIU).

MUKANDOLI Domitille, a member of DUKUNDUMURIMO Cooperative, said the exchange had provided valuable lessons that farmers intended to apply to improve their farming activities and livelihoods.

“Today, we heard how other cooperatives have been operating, and there is a lot we can learn from them to help us progress,” she said.

Mukandoli credited SAIP II with helping women in her cooperative venture into greenhouse farming, an investment she said had created opportunities for better harvests, increased income and improved family welfare.

“What we appreciate most is that SAIP supported us. As women, we formed a group, and the project provided us with a greenhouse that helped us engage in farming. Once we harvest our produce, we export some of it and earn money that supports our families,” she said.

She explained that income from greenhouse production had also strengthened women’s participation in household decision-making, with their husbands increasingly supporting their farming activities as the benefits became evident.

“Today, our husbands give us the opportunity to work in the greenhouses because, when we earn money, our children can go to school, we can pay for community-based health insurance, and we can address different challenges in our households,” Mukandoli added.

She encouraged other women seeking greater economic independence to organise themselves into agricultural groups that could help them access support and invest in greenhouse production. She said the experiences shared by other cooperatives had also encouraged her members to become more ambitious about finding markets and expanding their activities.

For DUKUNDUMURIMO, the priority is now to translate the lessons learned into practical improvements that increase production, strengthen market opportunities and sustain the progress already achieved.

NIYONIZERA Patrick, a member of Terimbere Muhinzi Rulindo Cooperative (KOTEMURU), said the sessions were helping farmers identify practical ways to close production gaps through improved fertiliser use, timely planting and effective pest control.

“Three of the cooperatives represented here operate in the irrigation scheme, while the other two farm on the hillsides. We are looking at what we can do to increase production. We have heard that some farmers harvest up to 10 tonnes per hectare, while we are still slightly behind. We have learned that using good fertilisers, planting at the right time and controlling pests can help us reach our desired yields,” he said.

Beyond crop production, Niyonizera said KOTEMURU had gained experience in cooperative entrepreneurship, demonstrating how collective action can help farmers develop additional sources of income.

He said the cooperative started with limited financial resources but later expanded into the sale of agricultural inputs, eventually purchasing a building at a local trading centre valued at Rwf8 million.

Although the cooperative once suffered a loss of Rwf3 million, its members remained committed to rebuilding the business and continuing their activities, he said.

Niyonizera added that SAIP II had provided training and other support that would continue benefiting cooperative members beyond the project’s implementation period. He said the knowledge gained would help them improve farming practices, strengthen their cooperative and develop a more sustainable agricultural business.

Rulindo district vice mayor in charge of Economic Development, RUGERINYANGE Theoneste, said the knowledge-sharing sessions provided farmers with an opportunity to learn from one another while helping local authorities better understand their needs and priorities.

He said the district was committed to increasing agricultural production by ensuring that farmers made effective use of the Muyanza Irrigation Scheme, enabling them to improve their livelihoods while producing enough to meet household needs and supply markets.

“Our plan is to increase agricultural production by making proper use of the Muyanza Irrigation Scheme. This will help residents transform their livelihoods and produce a surplus for the market,” he said.

He commended SAIP II for contributing to increased crop production and improved livelihoods, noting that the training provided through the project would remain useful to farmers after its implementation period.

“The project has increased the production of different crops in this district, improved people’s livelihoods and provided training that farmers will continue to benefit from,” he said, pledging continued district support to ensure farmers build on the progress achieved

Through SAIP II, five cooperatives in the Muyanza Irrigation Scheme DUKUNDUMURIMO, KORA UKIRE, KIMUYANZA, KOTEMURU and MUGREF are benefiting from an approach that combines irrigation infrastructure, farmer training, cooperative development and knowledge sharing.
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Figures comparing Season A of 2024 with Season A of 2026 show improvements in the production of several major crops in Muyanza. Maize production increased from 3.1 tonnes per hectare in Season A of 2024 to 3.4 tonnes per hectare in Season A of 2026, while bean production rose from 2.7 to three tonnes per hectare over the same period.

Potato production recorded a more substantial increase, rising from 12 to 16 tonnes per hectare, while cassava production grew from eight to 10 tonnes per hectare. Banana production also increased from three to four tonnes per hectare, indicating progress across several important food crops.

The Muyanza irrigation scheme covers 2,550 hectares, of which 655 hectares are currently under irrigation. Plans are in place to extend irrigation to an additional 1,100 hectares, potentially enabling more farmers to benefit from reliable water supplies and improved production conditions. The scheme’s reservoir has a storage capacity of 2.3 million cubic metres of water, providing an important foundation for expanding irrigated agriculture.

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