Rwanda's horticulture sector holds huge potential in contributing to the country's economic growth, specifically in increasing export revenues and creating decent jobs for youth and women.

This was witnessed through the second phase of the Horti-Export project since 2021, which was funded by GIZ under its "Special Initiative - Decent Work for a Just Transition" which focuses on creating decent jobs and improving working conditions of workers within beneficiaries' operations and beyond.

This was emphasised by agriculture sector players on Friday, June 28, 2024, during discussions aimed at learning from experts and peers, and leveraging collective knowledge and experiences to address challenges and seize opportunities in the horticulture sector.

The conference, which was hosted by IDH Rwanda, an organisation that works with businesses, financiers, governments and civil society to realise sustainable trade in global value chains, also aimed at celebrating the achievements under this project.

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Participants engaged in discussions to shape the future of the Rwandan horticulture sector and the agriculture sector in general.

Dr Chantal Ingabire, the Director General of Planning at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, said that the ministry, guided by the Vision 2050 of Rwanda, has embarked on a journey of agriculture transformation, and this transformation means shifting from a subsistence to a market-oriented sector.

Dr Ingabire noted that projects or programmes supporting agriculture should align with the country&039;s vision and the ministry's strategy.

In the Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA), now in the fifth edition, Dr Ingabire said they are targeting to boost exports and promotion of horticultural products and private sector engagement among the strategy's priorities.

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"We aim to increase from 875 million US dollars to 1.9 billion US dollars in exports by 2030. Despite the ambitious target and complex approach, we believe it's achievable due to our plans to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality products," she said.

"Given the growing demand for high value products, and most importantly, the engagement of the private sector, we are convinced that we will reach there.”

She noted that smallholder farmers are part of the private sector, like SMEs, and they must be recognised and supported in their unique needs to help them engage in agribusiness.

"We see the horticulture value chain as a great opportunity. The development of this value chain is considered as a great opportunity for income and job creation, especially for youth and women. Our target in the next five years is to create at least 600,000 jobs for youth in the agrifood systems, from the current target of 400,000 jobs” she said.

Dr Thomas Kirsch, Country Director for GIZ, a company that works in Rwanda primarily on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, said that agriculture is a cornerstone of Rwanda's economy as it contributes 26 per cent of the country's GDP and employs well over 60 per cent of the working age population.

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"While the export potential has historically been dominated by coffee and tea, recent years have shown that Rwanda&039;s horticulture sector holds tremendous promise.

"Together, this project allowed us to create over 1,000 new permanent decent jobs, increase export revenues of our partner companies from 25 metric tonnes to 55.6 metric tonnes per week and improve working conditions for over 6, 300 small and medium enterprises and farm workers,” he added.

Gerald Habimana, representing Kojyamunya Cooperative, which specialises in growing fruits and vegetables in Nyanza, shared his experience as a beneficiary of the project.

He noted that they initially farmed products traditionally targeting the local market, but after gaining access to irrigation, they adopted modern farming techniques and began producing for the international market.

"After receiving training, we began growing chili in 2019. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, which initially limited our production, we kept on growing but in small quantities.”

With support from various partners and stakeholders, they successfully produced 108 tonnes in the first half of the year. He expressed gratitude to IDH Rwanda, NAEB, and MINAGRI for their continuous support in enhancing their production capabilities.

Friesen-Leibbrandt, the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of IDH, expressed her gratitude to the attendees for their participation and for sharing their experiences, emphasising the importance of agriculture as a crucial sector.

She added, "We want to create a thriving Rwandan horticulture sector, creating decent jobs for millions of young men and women, and keeping the sector attractive for those young people.”