Rwanda will on Wednesday December 20 launch a factory with an annual capacity to blend 100,000 tonnes of fertilisers, according to information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI).
The Rwanda Fertiliser Blending Plant is set up at Bugesera Special Economic Zone located in Bugesera District, Eastern Province.
The project is a joint venture under the Rwanda Fertiliser Company (RFC), which involves OCP Group – a Moroccan fertiliser manufacturing firm – and the Government of Rwanda.
OCP Group is one of the leading exporters of phosphate fertilisers in the world, with almost 100 years of experience.
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The factory is one of the flagship cooperation projects between Rwanda and Morocco, following the State Visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco in Rwanda in October 2016.
Following the monarch’s historical visit, Rwanda and Morocco signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for strengthening cooperation in various areas of economic development, including setting up of a fertiliser blending plant in Rwanda.
The blending plant will have an inbuilt capacity for production of 100,000 metric tonnes of fertilisers per year, which is higher than Rwanda’s current annual demand estimated at 85,000 tonnes of fertilisers, supplied through importation.
The plant will target both the local and the regional markets, according to the agriculture ministry.
Rwanda Fertiliser Blending Plant is specifically customised for Rwandan farming system’s needs, with raw materials supplied by the OCP Group.
The plant includes essential facilities such as a production and storage factory, administrative building, Maintenance workshop, Locker room, Canteen, and a Research and Development Laboratory to support technological advancements in agriculture.
Different from the current situation where generic fertilisers are imported into the country, the factory will be locally blending (mixing) fertiliser raw materials in ratios that are customised to the specific needs of soils and crops as will be determined through soil testing across the country.
This is expected to improve farm productivity, hence benefiting farmers’ yields, according to officials in charge of agriculture sector growth.
The ministry has said that the plant will formulate and produce 20 new customised products by 2025, addressing the specific needs of Rwandan farmers for improved soil fertility and increased crop yield.
Expected participants at the abovementioned factory inauguration include Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, and representatives of OCP Group.