Rwanda will host the 20th edition of the Africa Food Systems Forum from Sept. 1 to 5, organizers announced Wednesday, marking two decades of efforts to transform agriculture and food systems across Africa.
Rwanda’s National Agricultural Export Development Board said it is constructing five drying facilities to reduce post-harvest losses of onions and chili peppers, crops that frequently spoil before reaching markets.
Farmers who grow potatoes often spray fungicides at least twice a week to control late blight, a disease caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans. The disease, known locally as “indwara y’imvura,” can devastate crops and reduce yields.
Rwanda has struggled to fully utilize agricultural cold storage facilities built to reduce post-harvest losses, with officials citing poor location, high operating costs and consumer attitudes toward stored food as key obstacles.
A two-day workshop organized by the Rwanda Organic Agriculture Movement (ROAM) aimed to strengthen media coverage of agroecology and organic agriculture in Rwanda, highlighting the role of sustainable farming in improving food security and regional trade.
Rwanda’s National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) has announced plans to plant 2.75 million coffee seedlings in the first planting season of 2026 as part of a nationwide effort to rejuvenate aging coffee plantations.
Rwanda plans to introduce a law regulating livestock farming as part of broader efforts to increase agricultural production and improve standards across the sector, Agriculture and Animal Resources Minister Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye said.
Senator Charles Murigande on Monday urged the government to significantly increase investment in agricultural research, saying it is unacceptable that hunger continues to affect parts of the country despite generally favorable rainfall and long-standing efforts to modernize farming.
Rwanda is embarking on a five-year plan to modernize agriculture and significantly increase crop yields, aiming to turn 600,000 hectares of farmland into high-yield, climate-resilient farms. The government hopes maize and other staple crops will see productivity rise from two tons per hectare to as much as six tons.
Rwanda has made notable progress in food security, with 83% of its population now considered food secure, up from 79.2%, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) announced Thursday.
The European Union has pledged Rwf 44 billion (26 million euros) to support Rwandan farmers’ cooperatives, building on over Rwf 127 billion previously provided through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The funding aims to strengthen sustainable agriculture, improve rural livelihoods, and (…)
RAB plans 819,000 hectares under cultivation in 2026A season with focus on priority crops and higher yields
