Farming communities are improving their own access to high-quality inputs and diversifying their own revenue streams

For decades smallholder farmers in Rwanda were practicing subsistence farming without utilizing high quality planting materials and did not prioritize market-oriented agriculture.  The Seasonal Agricultural Survey indicated that 17.9% of the population was using improved seeds while 82.1% used traditional seeds, NISR 2013. More recently, population growth, adverse effects of climate change and outbreaks of pests and diseases have forced African governments to modernize agriculture by recommending and improving the accessibility and affordability of improved seeds and inputs that are climate resilient and tolerant to pests and diseases. In recent years the Government of Rwanda (GoR) put effort into reducing the import of seeds by investing in domestic seed production. In 2021 it was reported in Food Business Africa that Rwanda was spending more than $5 million annually importing 4,000 MT of improved seeds comprising 70% maize, 16% wheat, and 12% soybean from Kenya and Zambia. Since 2022, the country hasn't been importing maize, soybean, and wheat seeds.   

Despite the efforts made by governments, smallholder farmers in rural areas are unable to easily source quality seeds due to a lack of availability of seeds and inputs at the right time, money, and knowledge on the use of quality inputs to name a few. Community Agribusiness Partners, formerly the Clinton Development Initiative (CDI), in partnership with farmer cooperatives began working with farmers across the seed sector to improve access to seeds and inputs as a key driver of agri-business in 2019. The community-managed seed supply chain approach focused on community-driven seed multiplication and brokering partnerships between farming communities and seed companies.  A strong community-managed seed system enables farming communities timely access seeds and inputs within their communities, cost savings on transportation to buy quality inputs, and create new business opportunities through diversified revenue streams such as agro dealerships, contract seed farming, seed multiplication, and selling within the community.

Community-driven seed multiplication

The seed in Rwanda was historically imported, produced, and made available by a small number of companies.  Changes in the Government of Rwanda's policies around seed systems included reducing, and in some cases eliminating, the import of seeds created an opportunity for farmer-led businesses including cooperatives and private companies. This, coupled with regulation around the production of pre-basic, basic, and certified seeds enabled cooperatives and companies to become certified producers. It also unlocked a new revenue stream for farmers solving the government's problem around the limited availability of high-quality seed for farmers produced locally. Before 2019, seed bean production was done by cooperatives and hub farmers partnering with CDI. Less than 4 cooperatives were certified, and hub farmers could not be certified which was one of the limiting factors in addition to the lack of financing to grasp business opportunities available in seed multiplication.

East Umuhinzi Company (EUC), a company make up of  20 farming cooperatives in the Eastern Province of Rwanda, took the lead for community-driven seed supply to respond to challenges that cooperatives and hub farmers were facing in supplying enough seeds in their communities.

EUC signed its first contract in seed multiplication for H2O-Rumbuka in late 2022. Five certified cooperative members of EUC would produce seed on 36 hectares of land. “We proudly cultivated and harvested 24.164 metric tons of top-quality certified bean seeds, yielding a remarkable return of 13,710,600 FRW, equivalent to approximately $12,000,” said Semakure Jean Damascene President of Covamis Cooperative and member of EUC.

EUC signing agreement with H2O Rumbuka.

“In late 2023, EUC produced more than three metric tons of premium seed beans, that were made available at a discounted rate of 20% to our valued farmer members during the early months of 2024,” Nyirinkindi Jean Damascene, President of EUC added. “Since then, EUC started a journey of being a certified seed production entity and in February 2023 EUC received its certification from the Rwanda Inspectorate and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA). Currently, all 20 cooperative members of the EUC can engage in seed production of any crop and any type of seeds – pre-basic, basic, and certified seeds based on that certificate,” Nyirinkindi continued.

However, the journey is far from over as EUC is now looking forward to being a member of the larger forum of certified seed producers and sellers in the country to unlock different business opportunities in the seed production sector.

EUC farmers producing bean seeds.

Brokering partnerships between farming communities and seed companies

Among the challenges farmers face while sourcing seeds - high transport costs and lack of coordination between seed companies, multiplies and end users - are the most significant. Partnership and coordination amongst key players in this space allow for price and business  efficiencies that would otherwise not be achievable.

“EUC partnered with Tri-seeds to supply 17 MT of hybrid maize that was planted on 577 hectares. Primary cooperatives benefitted from a 7% discount on the price due to bulk purchases and seeds were high quality and delivered on time before the onset of rain,” said Nyirinkindi.   

This partnership benefited farmer cooperatives, not only through sourcing quality and reliable planting materials but also in supporting training on good agricultural practices through demonstration plots and performed trials with farmer groups. In addition, inputs were provided to farmers at the right time and were competitively priced.  

Learning from the above experience, Community Agribusiness Partners focuses on continuing to strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers and their communities through partnership development with farming cooperatives and other actors in the agriculture sector. We are looking forward to expanding the community seed supply chain system to other parts of the country and in different crops.