AGRA in Rwanda
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) strongly backs
government green revolution programs such as the Strategic Plan for the
Transformation of Agriculture, a comprehensive national agricultural
strategy that coordinates public, donor and private efforts.
One critical facet provides well-targeted input subsidies, enabling
small-scale farmers to access good seed and fertilizers. The government
also invests more than 10 percent of the national budget in agriculture.
This exceeds the 10 percent goal established by the Comprehensive
Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), an initiative of the
African Union's New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
AGRA's programs and partnerships in Rwanda support these efforts
through promoting rapid, sustainable agricultural growth based on
smallholder farmers. AGRA's integrated approach addresses key challenges
across the agricultural value chain.
Programs supported by AGRA are:
- developing high-yielding, disease-tolerant staple food crops;
- supporting private sector efforts to provide farmers with a wide range of improved seeds;
- improving soil fertility;
- working with investors in the public and private sector to provide
affordable credit to agribusinesses that serve smallholder farmers;
- investing in the next generation of Rwandan crop scientists.
AGRA's partners in Rwanda include the government's Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda (ISAR), The Rwanda Agricultural Research Institute, NEPAD, private seed companies, and the African Seed Investment Fund, which is investing in at least 20 small- and medium-size seed companies in Southern and Eastern Africa, including in Rwanda.
