Strengthening horticulture farmer’s Cooperatives and SMEs competitiveness through enhanced Post-Harvest Management and Market Access Project

Kwihaza Project 

With an objective to diversify the source of income, the horticulture was identified as potential commodity to count on for developing a farming enterprise for small holder farmers. The development of this subsector is fueled by a good potential found in Rwanda agro-climatical conditions coupled with socio-economic environment in the country, increasing local and regional demand for healthy food, increasing interest among exporters to source locally, and opportunity for import substitution, growing number of supermarkets and tourism industry in Rwanda which make it possible to plan for a growing market for fresh produce.

Although horticulture sector is considered among top priority cash crops and its exports has progressively increased, the rate of productivity growth is slow and in general the sub-sector often suffer from low productivity, high level of post harvest losses and stakeholders are challenged for accessing remunerative markets. Many horticulture farmers sell their produce to local collectors and local markets in informal markets rather than to formal buyers, wholesalers or exporters who offer better remunerative prices.

 Through the transformation toward sustainable food systems-Kwihaza program in Rwanda concluded an funding agreement with NAEB to fund the interventions targeting Strengthening horticulture farmer’s cooperatives and SMEs competitiveness through enhanced Post-Harvest Management and Market Access''.

Project goal

• Increase in a sustainable way the production, per capita consumption and income generated by horticulture products with a focus on women and youth . The development objective of the project is to increase the incomes and assets of smallholder farmers, processors and service providers in the horticultural subsector.

Geographical scope: 13 districts

This project targets 13 districts in the region of Rwanda with a comparative advantage and potential for modern horticulture as follows:

• Western Province: Rubavu, Rusizi, Nyabihu,

• Southern Province: Kamonyi, Huye,
• Northern Province: Musanze
• Eastern Province: Rwamagana, Bugesera, Ngoma, Gatsibo, Nyagatare

Target groups

The project aims to reach 40 cooperatives in thirteen districts of Rwanda with total of 2500 members involved in horticulture including small-scale farmers, Small and Medium enterprises in both production, post harvest and marketing of different fruits and vegetables.

Target value chains

• Avocadoes, tomato, onion and passion fruits

Project specific objective

• To enhance the capacities of cooperatives and SMEs in horticulture value chains in post-harvest handling management,
• To improve market access through compliance with quality standards and market linkages as well as sustainable development of public agro- infrastructures

Target group: 40 cooperatives and SME’s in 13 districts of Rwanda;

Project duration: 3 years

Project expected results:

To achieve the above objectives, the project will support modern, efficient farming techniques that improve quality of marketed produce, capacitate stakeholders to reduce post harvest losses and enhance their improved access to domestic, regional and international markets. The project will support renovation of quality enhancing facility such as NAEB central pack-house. Specifically, the project focuses on achieving the following results:

• Capacitating selected cooperatives/and or smallholder farmers to reduce post-harvest losses.
• Equipping Beneficiary cooperatives/SMEs with post-harvest , processing and/or quality management tools and equipment.
• Development of Appropriate aggregation models to create economies of scale, penetrate new local and regional markets, create decent jobs, and contribute to sustainable food system.
• Supporting selected cooperatives and individual farmers to adopt practices that enhance quality standards required better remunerative markets.
• Facilitate linkage between selected cooperatives and individual farmers to premium markets.
• Contributing to renovation of the central packhouse