The World Bank regional chief has commended the country’s agriculture sector for efforts in transforming lives especially for rural farmers through effective implementation of the Rural Sector Support Project II. The project is funded by the Bank. Severin Kodderitzsch, WB’s central and southern agriculture sector director of African Rural Development and Irrigation Sustainable Development, commended the sector’s performance. "It is rare for projects to receive a highly satisfactory rating by the World Bank. This demonstrates efforts by the government and other stakeholders in perfecting delivery of this project,” he said. Kodderitzsch is in the country to check on progress and performance of projects funded by WB, among other responsibilities. On Tuesday, Kodderitzsch and other officials from the Bank’s Rwanda office held talks with Agriculture minister Agnes Kalibata at the ministry headquarters in Kigali. He presented to Dr Kalibata WB’s evaluation of the RSSP II, which he said received an excellent rating. Last year, the Bank granted government $80m (about Rwf52b) as last installment for the Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP3). This project aims at building on the progress government has made since 2001 by seeking to further unlock rural growth. Funds for the project are channelled toward irrigation, marshlands farming, sustainable land use practices and financing economic infrastructure in selected communities. Records at the ministry indicate that agriculture sector has significantly helped fight poverty, putting the figure of those elevated above poverty line to one million people in the last five years. Kodderitzsch said changing lives is a milestone and that it demonstrates effectiveness and impact of the project. Dr Kalibata said the evaluation was inspirational and that the rating, which considers both processes and outcomes, demonstrate commitment to equitable resource allocation and management.