Did you know? Irish potato is the 2nd most important food in Rwanda after banana. Yet, only 25% of farmers in Nyabihu District—one of the country’s main potato-producing regions—currently use certified potato seed. The majority rely on poor-quality seed they save from the previous harvest or purchase from local markets.
Certified potato seed production is a complex and expensive process that requires at least four generations of seed multiplication using advanced technology, each lasting around four months. Currently, only a handful of institutions, including the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), and the Institute of Applied Sciences (INES) have the capacity to produce certified seed in the country.
The shortage of certified seeds coupled with depleted soils, reduced pest resistance, and effects of climate change have drastically reduced productivity, especially in Rwanda's North and Western region. Farmers currently harvest around 25 metric tons (MT) of potatoes per hectare, far below the potential yield of 35–40 MT that could be achieved with access to high-quality seed.
“The shortage of certified seeds has been such a huge problem for us. Lower production means lower incomes for farmers,” says Innocent Hakizima, President of the KOAIKAGA cooperative in Nyabihu.
But through the Kungahara project, an initiative funded by the European Union through Rikolto and implemented by Kilimo Trust Rwanda, these challenges are being tackled head-on.
The project is helping smallholder farmers access high-quality, certified potato seed by building climate-resilient potato seed multiplication greenhouses in Nyabihu and Musanze districts, the key potato-growing areas in Rwanda.
These greenhouses provide a controlled environment that ensures high-quality seed production. Each facility can produce 16,000 mini-tubers, which are anticipated to yield approximately 18.5 metric tons (MT) of certified seed, which can be planted on about 7.5 hectares, significantly enhancing farmers' productivity.
“With certified seed, we expect production to rise to at least 30 MT per hectare," says Didas Musangwa, Director of Agriculture in Nyabihu District,
Although the greenhouses are currently in the pilot phase, the project has already demonstrated promising results. Thomas Gahimano, an agronomist with Kilimo Trust, emphasized that the growing conditions within the greenhouses are meticulously managed to ensure the production of high-quality seed.
“Once the seed reaches the third generation, it is transferred to open fields, guaranteeing that farmers will have access to quality seed for a longer period,” Gahimano explained.
The Kungahara project aims to benefit 6,000 farmers across the potato, vegetable, and fruit sectors in Nyabihu and Musanze. By improving access to certified seed and establishing climate-resilient farming practices, the project seeks to enhance both productivity and sustainability within Rwanda’s agricultural sector.