Rwandan Agriculture Expo Showcases New Farming Technologies

Photo taken on Oct. 11, 2021, shows an experimental field of Juncao at the China-Rwanda Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center (C-RATDC) in Huye, Rwanda. (Xinhua/Ji Li)

An agriculture exhibition showcased modern technologies to Rwandan farmers to help them raise crop output and improve livelihoods.

KIGALI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- An agriculture exhibition showcased modern technologies to Rwandan farmers to help them raise crop output and improve livelihoods.

The annual event, organized by the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, is held this year under the theme "Transforming Agriculture into a Resilient and Competitive Sector through Technology, Innovation and Investment."

A starter pump, designed to help farmers grow crops uninterrupted all year round and avoid dependence on rainfall, is one of the technologies showcased at the July 20-29 show in Mulindi showground in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.

Designed by KickStart International, a non-profit social enterprise, the manual pump is seen as one of the most affordable irrigation tools in Rwanda.

A bigger starter pump can suck water from seven meters deep and irrigate 0.8 hectares of land while a smaller one can fetch water from six meters deep and cover 0.4 hectares.

Faustin Migisha, a partnership officer for KickStart International, said farmers using such pumps are able to safeguard their crops and raise output thanks to improved irrigation.

"The starter irrigation pump was launched recently. The company gets funds for research to come up with that kind of technology," Migisha told Xinhua. "Our pumps are manual, meaning it doesn't cost farmers fuel, and maintenance is almost free. We give farmers a whole package of pumps with spare parts and train farmers how to maintain them."

The organization works with about 1,000 farmers, mostly in eastern Rwanda, an area prone to drought.

Claudine Uwintege, a 42-year-old farmer from Kayonza district, recalled that her maize yields used to be poor due to insufficient rainfall. "I was excited when my maize yields improved after I adopted irrigation because it enabled crops to thrive even during a dry spell," she said.

The Rwandan economy is dominated by agriculture, with many farmers practicing semi-subsistence agriculture.

Photo taken on Oct. 11, 2021, shows Juncao at China-Rwanda Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center (C-RATDC) in Huye, Rwanda. (Xinhua/Ji Li)

Rwanda aims to replace subsistence farming with fully monetized and technology-intensive commercial agriculture and agro-processing by 2050.

The country's agricultural production growth dropped from 6.4 percent in 2021 to 1.6 percent in 2022, according to central bank data, partly due to bad weather.

Therefore, innovative technology is critical in sustaining production and enhancing farming output, Migisha said.

"Farmers we work with have reported having enough food for their consumption as they are able to plant their crops in all seasons all year round," he said, adding that irrigation is expensive, but they try to bring affordable technology.

Another tool on display at the exhibition is a multipurpose power tiller that caters to mainly small-scale farmers who cannot afford to hire tractors.

For bushy areas, the machine slashes and then tills, said Jean Hakizimana, who works for Youth Engagement in Agriculture Network (YEAN), another social enterprise.

"We till for farmers at affordable prices. We have tractors, and small power tillers which can till for smallholder farmers working on small farmland," he told Xinhua at his booth.

"Anybody can use a power tiller as it doesn't require a lot of energy," Hakizimana said. "Farmers have been able to increase their output because they are able to plant their crops in time."

YEAN currently works with 40,000 farmers, with a target of reaching 150,000 by 2025.

The organization seeks to empower farmers and agripreneurs by fostering agribusiness innovation, Hakizimana said.

He urges farmers to embrace modern farming. "Even when you grow crops on a small plot of land, with technology the output can increase and ensure household food security and surplus for sale."