FEATURED: Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food security Project (SAIP) to boost farmer’s productivity in a more sustainable way

The Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP) that kicked off its intervention activities in December last year, seeks to support farmers efforts to increase agricultural productivity in a more sustainable way. The Government of Rwanda signed a Grant Agreement between the World Bank, acting as administrator of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), and the Republic of Rwanda for the financing of SAIP. The Project will pro-actively support farmers to improve healthier household nutrition. The SAIP implemented under Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) Single Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) will support the Governments efforts to accelerate growth in the agricultural sector and further to reduce poverty. The project will contribute to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability, improved access to inputs, financing and markets as well as improved agriculture value chains. Irrigation systems have enabled farmers to access enough water to secure bumper harvests and, now they are shifting to cultivation of higher export-value crops. The main development objective of SAIP is to increase agricultural productivity, market access, and food security of the targeted beneficiaries in the project areas Currently, SAIP is implemented in eight districts: Rulindo, Rwamagana, Karongi, Rutsiro, Kayonza, Nyanza, Gatsibo, and Nyabihu, however, the project implementation will expand to other areas during implementation as required by the Government of Rwanda and in agreement with the World Bank Group. SAIP improved agricultural practices have given farmers the ability and hope to harvest increased yield for better livelihoods. The 5-year Project will also strengthen the development of sustainable market linkages and value addition, through increased performance and commercialization of selected value chains; vegetables and fruits for domestic, regional and international markets, maize for domestic and regional markets, Irish potatoes for domestic and regional markets while beans for domestic markets. The project will consolidate, sustain and scale-up the efforts undertaken by the recently completed projects- Land Husbandry Water Harvesting and Hillside Irrigation (LWH) project and the Third phase of the Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP3). Farmers have become more commercial and profitable by producing crops that are demanded by local, regional and international markets A total of 21,648 ha (out of a target of 19,940ha) were treated with comprehensive land husbandry technologies across LWH sites, including 2,555ha developed for hillside irrigation. Water retention dams and irrigation canals were also constructed to assist in irrigation. However, during RSSP3 implementation, a total of 7,000 ha of marshlands were developed and rehabilitated with or without water retaining dams, and 17,200 ha of marshland adjacent hillsides were sustainably developed. SAIP is implemented under the four components; 1. Institutional Strengthening, Agriculture Productivity Enhancement, and Nutrition Improvement, 2. Irrigation and Water Use Efficiency, 3. Market Linkages and Value Addition Investment Support and, 4. Project Management and Technical Assistance. During implementation, SAIP will also strengthen selected farmer organizations for improved agricultural productivity and healthier household nutrition. Specifically, the project will work closely with identified youth groups to serve as service providers and support farmers to shift from subsistence agriculture to commercial agriculture. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) will work closely with the project and provide Technical Assistance (TA) and support to the component 1, implementing the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and Farming As Business (FAB) approach, operation and management of Small Scale Irrigation Technologies (SSTI). During SAIP implementation, about 38,606 farmers’ households will directly benefit from the project, while 200,000 family members of the targeted households will be indirect beneficiaries of the project, out of whom about 84,000 are women. The beneficiary farmers’ households are organized into 1,724 Self Help Groups (SHGs) of 20–30 members each, established under the two completed projects-LWH and RSSP3. The SHGs are mobilised into 121 zones and 16 cooperatives. During SAIP implementation, emphasis will be placed on ensuring women and youth participation and leadership in the SHGs and cooperatives. Apart from farmers’ households, the project will also benefit other value chain actors including entrepreneurs and small and micro agri-businesses working in selected value chains. Communities in the target areas at large will indirectly benefit from the project through investments in SACCOs, post-harvest and Agri-processing equipment, and as well as market linkages. Specific emphasis will be placed on identifying and providing opportunities for income-generating activities for women and youth. For more information you can contact us on the address below. SPIU World Bank & KOICA Funded Projects P.O BOX 6961 8 KG 7 Ave Kacyiru Kigali, Boulevard de l’Umuganda Email: saip@rssp.gov.rw, rcsp@rssp.gov.rw Website: http://www.lwh-rssp.minagri.gov.rw Twitter: @SAIP_RCSP Facebook: SAIP/RCSP Flickr: SAIP_RCSP YouTube: SPIU SAIP/RCSP

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FEATURED: Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food security Project (SAIP) to boost farmer’s productivity in a more sustainable way