The role of the use of improved agricultural practices in ensuring food security in Rwanda

1.3 Situation of the use of agricultural inputs in Rwanda

1.3.1 Effect of the use of inputs on food security

Access to agricultural inputs has long been slowing down the farmers from raising productivity levels. The access was reduced by the low demand and costs which are further amplified by the difficulties in transportation to rural areas. To overcome these constraints, CIP took a `supply-push' approach whereby the government initially supplies the inputs and the farmers are convinced to use them to raising productivity

1.4.Fertilizer access has been improved through financial assistance4(*)

Government has been purchasing fertilizers in bulk and selling them to distribution companies at a subsidized price; the distributors then sell them to smallholder farmers who are usually grouped in cooperatives. We are now preparing to transfer the importing responsibilities to private companies," Murekezi said.^5(*)

The following measures has been taken

§ GoR bulk imports & smart transport subsidies ensure availability

§ Private sector capacity-building: auction and distribution network

§ Voucher system to ensure access

§ Land consolidation to maximize effect

§ Fertilizer use in target districts increased from 4 kg to 19.9 kg /ha

§ Households using fertilizer increased from 25 to 44%

1.5 Access to improved seeds-partnerships between private & public sectors

The government Rwanda has put in place different measures to facilitate farmer's access improved seed in partnership with different institutions. The following were set as priorities:

§ Creating demand, even among the poorest farmers

§ Drought resistance and Hybrid seed access

§ Conditional upon fertilizer purchases

§ Conditional upon fertilizer purchases

§ Maximizing effect of fertilizer subsidies

§ Developing local seed production

§ Ensuring sanitary & phyto-sanitary standards

§ Providing incentives, e.g. subsidized loans

§ Making research & technology

Due to the growing demographic pressure on land, the agricultural lands in Rwanda are highly fragmented. Since the use of inputs such as the improved seeds and fertilizer can be translated into profitability for smallholder farmers only if the land fragmentation is overcome, the land use patterns need to be organized. With the help of recent government's policy reforms, the crop intensification program advocated consolidation of land use by farmers. Under the land consolidation policy, farmers in a given area need to grow specific food crops in a synchronized fashion that will improve the productivity and environmental sustainability. It also required resettlement of family housing in an administrative area (Umudugudu) from the agriculturally productive lands.

At least 37.5 percent of the land in Rwanda needs to be managed before being cultivated, and overall an estimated 39.1 percent of the land has a high erosion risk. "We estimate that erosion affects [our] ability to feed 40,000 persons per year," So far, measures against erosion have been implemented and losses from erosion per year average close to 14 million tones of soil, according to the ministry (MINAGRI)^6(*) Stable farming system that has been used for several generations and has been able to supply the nutritional and material needs so the Traditional farming is being replaced by modern intensive farming systems hoping that An integration of farming systems, combining the productivity of modern systems and the sustainability of traditional systems, could help to preserve biological diversity and feed a growing population without excessive damage to the environment. To improve productivity and ensure food security

* ⁴ Evaluation Report on Crop Intensification Program (2010) International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development, Kigali

* ⁵ Coordinator of the Fertilizer Program at the ministry, Dr. Charles MUREKEZI

* ⁶ IRIN Africa report published in September 2008