Why cassava is an asset to 100,000 farming households in Rwanda

Key Points

• Agriculture is the backbone of Rwanda’s economy, accounting for 27 %of its national GDP and employs 5 & of the total population
• The project will directly benefit smallholder farmers in 10 districts: Kamonyi, Muhanga, Ruhango, Nyanza, Gisagara, Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Bugesera, Gatsibo, and Kayonza

 By Felix

Ingabo Syndicate Farmers, a producer organization and the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today signed a US$2 million project to enhance food security, improve livelihoods and build climate resilience for over 100,000 cassava farming households across 10 districts in Rwanda.

The President, Ingabo Farmers’ Syndicate, Kantarama Cesarie, said: “Small-scale farmers are the backbone of Rwanda’s food system, and their resilience is critical to our nation’s food security. This project recognizes the vital role of these farmers and their organisation and empowers them with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to thrive.”

He said by improving production, enhancing market access, and building resilience to climate change, we are not only increasing food production but also strengthening the livelihoods of thousands of Rwandan families.

The Country Director, IFAD Rwanda, Dagmawi Habte-Selassie, said: “This project is timely and exemplifies IFAD’s commitment to supporting sustainable and inclusive food systems.”

By investing in smallholder farmers, we can enhance food security, build resilient rural communities, and contribute significantly to Rwanda’s economic growth. The specific interventions in post-harvest systems and market linkages will support a sustainable casava value chain.

The initiative

The four-year initiative, known as SCORE Rwanda (Strengthening Smallholder Farmers’ Resilience to (Food and Climatic) Crises for Improved Food Security and Livelihoods in Rwanda), is funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) Producers’ Organisation Funding window, Agriterra an organisation specialising in cooperative development, and Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF); and IFAD will supervise the implementation by Ingabo.

Why cassava, an asset for Rwandan farmers

Cassava, cultivated on roughly 147,320 hectares, equivalent to 5.6% of Rwanda’s territory, is a vital crop to ensure food security, ranking second in production after bananas. This tuber crop sustains over 700,000 families, particularly in the drought-prone southeast.

While a significant portion of cassava is consumed domestically, limited value addition restricts its export potential. However, its resilience to climate stress, such as low rainfall and poor soil conditions, makes the tuber crop an asset for Rwandan farmers.

Increasing and more frequent droughts, floods, and rising temperatures connected to climate change have led to poor harvests, worsen food insecurity, and malnutrition in Rwanda.

The project aims to help farmers adapt to the new climatic reality by improving cassava production, utilizing clean and improved seeds and promoting the Zai Pit technique an improved farming method that improves soil fertility and water retention in degraded soils.