Posted on January, 14, 2025 at 12:30 am
The country’s stockpiling for key food crops has risen at an unprecedent level, despite some challenges, according to latest agriculture sector report.
The total reserves for maize saw an impressive 405.51% increase, growing from 5,837.7 MT in 2023 to 29,510 MT in 2024. Similarly, beans reserves grew by 36.6%, rising from 5,330 MT to 7,281 MT.
Annually, the country consumes up to 130,000 metric tons of maise. With that level in the reserves, it means the country has enough maise to cover consumption for 83 days, or about three months.
The report shows that Rwanda’s agricultural transformation agenda has contributed to a notable increase in agricultural productivity. A total of 142,318.7 hectares of radical terraces and 1,031,282.8 hectares of progressive terraces were developed, aimed at improving land conservation and soil fertility.
These efforts are critical as Rwanda faces challenges related to land fragmentation and soil erosion, which have hindered the country’s agricultural productivity in the past. Additionally, over 72,913 hectares of irrigation infrastructure were developed, with 37,273 hectares of marshland irrigation and 26,201 hectares of small-scale irrigation, all of which are crucial steps towards reducing Rwanda’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture.
These positive changes, while substantial, still fell short of meeting some targets set by the Government. The growth in reserves demonstrates the country’s efforts to bolster its stockpiling systems, but it is clear that more is needed to meet future food security needs.
The country failed to meet its strategic food reserve targets for the 2023/2024 fiscal year, raising significant concerns over the country’s food security and agricultural resilience. The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) set ambitious targets to stockpile 140,980 metric tons (MT) of maize and 69,917 MT of beans by the end of the year.
These targets were set as part of Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST1), which aimed to achieve these goals by the end of the 2023/2024 fiscal year. However, the actual figures reveal a troubling shortfall: maize reserves stood at just 29,510 MT, while beans reserves reached only 7,281 MT, resulting in a 79.07% shortfall for maize and an 89.59% shortfall for beans.
This failure to meet the reserve targets comes at a time when Rwanda seeks to build resilience against climate shocks and ensure that food supplies are available during lean periods. While the shortfall is stark, the government has pointed to a combination of factors, both external and internal, that contributed to the missed targets.
One of the primary factors cited for the shortfall is the adverse climatic conditions that plagued the 2023 growing season. The El Niño phenomenon, coupled with other erratic weather patterns, led to severe droughts and floods in key agricultural regions, affecting crop yields across the country.
These weather disturbances severely impacted both maize and beans, which are staples in Rwanda’s agricultural economy. Farmers, particularly in the Eastern and Southern regions, reported reduced yields and crop losses due to unpredictable rainfall, which disrupted the typical growing cycles of these essential crops.
Source: KT Press