VOLKSWAGEN GROUP Africa has initiated operations at a new facility in Bugesera District in the Eastern Province, about 60 kilometres from Kigali, to pilot a modern farming project using electric tractors.
The Group’s executive management was in Kigali last week to introduce theGenFarm, a comprehensive ecosystem of e-powered mechanised farming services for rural Africa that the latter proclaims to be dependable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
This ordinarily means that the initiative seeks to transform rural farming through e-powered mechanised solutions that are sustainable, reliable, and environmentally friendly.
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Under the development, the Group aims to introduce e-powered mechanised farming services for rural areas in Africa, while also offering mobility services for transporting goods and people.
"We are growing our footprint in Africa and regard Rwanda as a key growth market. The GenFarm Project fosters technological innovation and aligns with Volkswagen Group’s strategy to generate meaningful value for both society and the environment through sustainable mobility,” said Martina Biene, Volkswagen Group Africa chairperson and managing director.
In June 2023, VW Group Africa signed an agreement with Rwanda to allocate land for the project. The facility, part of a partnership with VW Mobility Solutions Rwanda and the VW Group Innovation Centre Europe, intends to provide clean energy and business space for local farming cooperatives.
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A key element of the initiative is the Empowerment Hub (e-Hub), which is currently in a pre-Hub phase, utilising standard containers. Construction of a permanent e-Hub is in progress, with full operations expected by 2025.
It will also provide storage and operational space for e-tractors and e-scooters.
Managing director of Volkswagen Group Innovation, Dr. Nikolai Ardey, described how the GenFarm operates, saying: "We want to offer various services in the empowerment hubs. Farmers can book an e-tractor including a trained driver for affordable sustainable farming.
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"The unique selling point of the project is the use of the battery swap system. In this way, the battery becomes part of the hub's energy infrastructure as well as energy storage for the tractor.”
VW Group Innovation Centre Europe is supplying the electric tractors and other equipment from Germany, while VW Mobility Solutions Rwanda will manage operations at the pilot hub.
The GenFarm Project is supported by the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (Rica) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). RicaICA focuses on research and education to train Rwanda’s future farmers, while GIZ is involved in procuring machinery and assessing the services the hub will offer to local farmers.
The pilot phase of the project will directly benefit farming cooperatives in the Bugesera district.
Rwanda’s agricultural sector, which contributes 25 percent of the country’s GDP, continues to play a vital role in the nation's economy.
Volkswagen Rwanda chief executive, Serge Kamuhinda, maintained that electric tractors are the foundation for Africa’s economic transformation, offering African farmers a dignified future.