Over the last one year, more than nine thousand farmers in Rwanda have adopted the production of horticulture crops through the support of Oxfam in Rwanda and government partners of the sustainable livelihoods in horticulture value chains project.

The sustainable livelihoods in horticulture value chains project (HVC) is a four-year project financed by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, (MINECOFIN) supported by the European Union (EU). The project is implemented by a consortium led by Oxfam with the main objective to contribute to unlocking the potential of Rwanda’s horticulture value chains to ensure the supply of safe and high-quality products to local, regional and international markets.

Rwanda’s horticulture production plays a crucial role in the country’s economy and it contributes significantly to the country’s export revenues and provides income to hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers (RDB, 2016; MINAGRI, 2018; NAEB, 2019). The sector currently contributes about 50% of non-traditional exports.

Promoting Horticulture value chain

Oxfam is working with Rwandan partners including the National Agriculture Export Board; Conseil Consultatif des Femmes (COCOF); DUHAMIC-ADRI and Duterimbere NGO to produce quality fruits and vegetables and promote the entire horticulture value chain by increasing investments to raise productivity responsive to climate change and market demand; increasing returns for small-holder horticultural farmers; increasing access and capacity to respond to demand and supply of local, regional and international markets as well as strengthening horticulture policy & regulatory frameworks to support small holder farmers’ productivity, income and marketing improvements . The project has a specific focus on women and youth and their participation as important players within the horticulture value chains. Various strategies and methodologies are being used to ensure that women small-holder farmers involved in the horticulture value chains are supported to increase their productivity and income.

Project Expected Impact

The project covering four districts of Rwanda including Rulindo, Kamonyi Nyamagabe and Nyagatare is expected to positively impact the lives of hundreds of women smallholders engaged in horticulture farming. This will improve productivity and increase household’s income and contribute to national poverty reduction agenda.

The horticulture value chain project is promoting profitable horticulture crops including avocado, pineapple, passion, French beans, tomatoes, eggplant, onions, flowers and chilli. Looking ahead, the project will have improved the production and income of 21,000 Rwandan horticulture farmers by 2024; it will have reached at least 55% women active along the horticulture value chains and will have empowered households to become food secure and increase income through the production of crops with good marketable traits. In addition, the project is advocating for the strengthening of horticulture policy and regulatory framework.

Despite the difficult times of COVID-19 we are facing as a Country and the world, farmers managed to continue agriculture activities while observing protective measures. Meet some of the resilient men and women smallholder farmers involved in the EU funded horticulture value chain project.

Odette Umutoni is a 39-year-old Rwandan small holder farmer and a mother from Rulindo District in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Her family grew mostly maize, beans and sweet potatoes for many years. However, Odette discovered a cooperative in her neighbourhood that would support her, her family, and contribute to raising her income. She joined the cooperative and started growing horticulture crops including flowers. With HVC project’s support, the cooperative has ventured in the production of avocados and other varieties of flowers.

"It was quite difficult before we started growing other varieties of flowers. The ones we used to grow did not yield much making it difficult to meet basic home needs. When the project’s support allowed us to introduce other varieties of flowers and consider farming avocadoes, we are now able to sell flowers and avocado nursery seedlings to increase our income”, said Odette

Previously, the cooperative members had very low yield due to lack of support in various ways. With the project’s support, the cooperative expects to improve its production significantly to increase the cooperative’s income.

"We did not have adequate skills and knowledge on how to grow horticulture crops but now that Oxfam and DUHAMIC-ADRI are supporting us with modern agricultural practices and knowledge on farming of other horticulture crop varieties, we expect to harvest more flowers and avocadoes than before and to access regular and reliable markets”, says Odette.

Odette Umutoni, one of the farmer cooperative members in Rulindo District holding avocado seedling grown in the cooperative’s nursery. / Photo by Laetitia Umulisa/Oxfam

Joining forces with other farmers for export opportunities, Alice Kayitesi, a mother of 2 children and a farmer from Rulindo District used to grow vegetables and Maize, she would harvest a portion for home consumption and another for sale at the local market. She says that before the project’s interventions, they were growing different crops individually with almost no skills for yield improvement and the associated income was generally low. Alice is part of the newly created farmers’ group of 61 members called Ejo Heza in Rulindo supported by the HVC project to grow flower varieties for local, regional and international market.

"It is our first time to grow flowers as a farmers’ group! The project provided seed and knowledge on how to grow flowers on our farms. We previously did not have the skills or good quality seed of flowers which prevented us from growing them but with HVC project’s support, we are getting equipped with the knowledge and good quality seed. Besides that, we have already secured an export market for our first flower produce,” Alice said.

With the farmers’ group created by the project, Alice expects a lot of positive impact because she believes that joining efforts and creating synergies as farmers will improve their production capacity and thus their returns. Ejo Heza group started growing crocosmia, arabicam and tuberose flower varieties on a land size of 8 hectares. "We opted to grow these flower varieties because they have good market price and will allow us to secure a good market by farming together”, added Alice.

Alice Kayitesi, one of the Ejo Heza group members in Rulindo district showing the stage of crocosmia flowers. / Photo by Laetitia Umulisa/Oxfam

Organic pineapple farming is another activity that farmers in Nyagatare District believe to be profitable once the market is secured which leads to improved farmers’ livelihoods.

David Mugisha is a farmer in Karama Sector of Nyagatare District in the Eastern Province. He is one of a few farmers growing pineapple in Karama. The 32-year-old father of four is a member of a farmers’ group called Girumurava. The HVC project supported individual farmers in this district before they could become a farmers’ group and consolidated their land. The HVC project encourages farmers to create groups and cooperatives in order to benefit from economies of scale.

According to Florien Rurihose, a field officer in Duterimbere NGO from Nyagatare, consolidating land with neighbours makes it easier for Duterimbere and district partners to offer technical support and agricultural extension services in modern farming methods, leading to higher yields and incomes for farmers. The pineapple farmers’ group currently counts 39 members who are growing pineapples on a land of five hectares and expect a lot of improvement thanks to the HVC project’s support.

"We were just growing pineapples our old way, but the project has given us trainings on modern agriculture practices, and we expect to harvest good quality pineapples and secure a regular market. By looking at harvested pineapples before the project started, I can only imagine how much more pineapples I will harvest after applying the gained knowledge and using good quality of pineapple seedlings”, said David. He added that, through securing a good and regular market, their income will increase, and their livelihoods will improve.

David Mugisha, one of the Girumurava farmer group members in Nyagatare district in his pineapples’ field. / Photo by Laetitia Umulisa/Oxfam

Onion farming is one of the agriculture activities to change lives of women farmers in Nyamagabe district.

Janette Mukandayisenga is a farmer and a single mother of two children from Mbazi Sector in Nyamagabe District. She grows beans, sweet potatoes and maize. Prior to joining HVC project, she used to grow onions mixed with Irish potatoes in one field. With her group of 25 farmers they have consolidated their land and started growing commercial onions with the support from Conseil Consultatif des Femmes (COCOF), an Oxfam partner on HVC Project.

"We are being trained by the project on how to grow onions for the market so that they can be profitable for our group members. We have just started planting using modern agriculture practices and we expect a lot of improvement and high yield from our land”, said Jeanette. She added that, the project is important to women members of the farmers’ group because they will be able to access opportunities in horticulture value chain. "We are glad that, the project is supporting and empowering us women through the production of profitable horticulture crops which will help in increasing our household’s income. With income from my onions, I will be able to meet my family’s basic needs and improve livelihoods as a single mother”, expressed Jeanette.

Jeanette in her field planting onions in Karama Sector in Nyamagabe District. / Photo by Laetitia Umulisa/Oxfam

Onion farming has become a profitable business because of the readily available and rapidly growing demand from both local and foreign markets. Farmers in the HVC project have started growing onions and garlic in Nyamagabe District.

COVID-19 has led the disruption of global supply chain flows, and due to limited shelf life, fresh produce supply chains were less adaptable to supply chain disruptions. Many smallholder farmers in Rwanda including those in horticulture value chain project faced challenges due to prevention lockdown measures caused by Corona outbreak. However, as the country reopens back to normal with some COVID-19 adaptation measures in place, the project is supporting farmers to get back to their normal horticulture production activities.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union (EU). Its contents are the sole responsibility of Oxfam in Rwanda and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.