In Musanze District, where fertile volcanic soil nurtures abundant harvests, a quiet revolution is taking root—one seed at a time. Christine Musabimana, once a curious landowner, never imagined that renting out her field would unlock a life-changing opportunity. What started as a simple transaction soon became a journey of discovery, leading her to embrace modern farming techniques and high-yield seed varieties.
What began as renting a field led her to discover a secret that helped her realize her dreams. Christine lives in Muko Sector, Musanze District, an area blessed with fertile land due to volcanic soil. The field she rented to Kilimo General Business Seed Company (KGB) opened her eyes to the world of seed production.
After receiving rental payment, her curiosity grew. She watched the agronomists closely as they monitored the fields. They provided her with 100 grams of MUH 501 maize seeds to try. The results impressed her, leading her to request more seeds for the next planting season.
She reflects, “After they gave me 0.5 kg, I planted it in a larger area and was amazed by the results. I thought I couldn’t let go of this seed. The yield was excellent, abundant, and the maize was large and very tasty.”
As Christine’s love for seeds grew, she continued to gain knowledge about modern farming techniques, effective fertilizer use, and disease control.
“As farmers, if you’re not working with agronomists, you often rely on trial and error. But since I work with agronomists from this company, I learned how they plant, how they space the crops, and how they use fertilizers. This knowledge has greatly improved my farming skills.”
Christine is committed to professional farming and focuses on how agronomists mix organic and industrial fertilizers. This understanding prompted her to experiment in her small garden before deciding to expand her maize cultivation.
Now, she no longer receives seeds for free; she has recognized the project’s profitability. She purchased 5 kg of MUH 501 seeds to grow and witness their performance firsthand.
“If I harvested 200 kg from 0.5 kg, imagine what I could get from 5 kg over 5 tons! That’s a significant amount!” she exclaims.
Christine emphasizes that providing farmers with small seed packs to test encourages them to learn about modern farming practices, offering sustainable solutions for fertilizer use.
“This project is incredible! It’s rare to see people come and work directly with communities. By doing so, farmers understand where the seeds come from and see their benefits.”
Francois Nsengiyumva, the managing director of KGB Seed Company, notes that in Christine’s area, farmers were accustomed to maize varieties that took seven months to mature and yielded no more than seven tons per hectare.
This was a loss for farmers, as they were only able to cultivate once per season with low yields. In contrast, the seeds produced by his company mature in four and a half months and yield up to twelve tons per hectare.
He states, “The Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID IGLR) project helps us translate research into practice by producing hybrid maize seeds from pre-basic and basic seeds up to certified seeds.
Ultimately, these certified seeds reach the farmers, increasing productivity and income at the household level. The project supports us in linking our company’s activities directly to the farmers, who are our end users.”
Francois highlights the importance of demonstration plots for sharing innovations and gaining knowledge. “These plots serve as schools where farmers from a specific area come together to learn.
They can apply what they’ve learned to their own farms.”
“The mother demo plot is a small-scale farm where surrounding farmers can learn how to grow maize properly, from land preparation to planting, fertilizer use, pest and disease control, and harvesting.”
He adds, “Farmers can replicate the demo plot at home, testing the seeds on a smaller scale to see if they can successfully apply the techniques they learned from the mother plot.”
Thanks to the structure of this project, both farmers and seed companies benefit. Francois reinforces this, stating, “Since joining the project, we have significantly increased our sales, going from selling 100 MT to over 250 MT per season. In the past two years, we sold 365 MT and reached more than 150,000 farmers.”
The benefits of the AID IGLR project extend even to potato farmers. Jean Damascene Sinzabaheza, who is visually impaired, is one of the beneficiaries who received seeds from the Seed Potato Fund (SPF).
He emphasizes that the project does not discriminate. Initially, he received 10 kg of pre-basic potato seeds called Kirundo. The yield was impressive, allowing him to harvest 120 kg of potatoes. With the profits, he purchased 200 kg of seeds.
He asserts that compared to the seeds he previously used, his yield tripled. “I managed to do this as a visually impaired person, even though people doubt our abilities. I earned 1,200,000 Rwandan Francs, spending 1,000,000 on land and using the remaining 200,000frws to support a student.”
Jean Damascene asserts that he has gained not only seeds but also valuable knowledge about modern farming practices.
“This project has significantly enlightened me. How did it do so? The SPF agronomist came to my farm to show me how to apply the right amount of fertilizer and visited frequently, which helped me acquire knowledge about agricultural techniques. Learning how to apply pesticides was also a revelation for us; we thought using mixed pesticides was sufficient.”
Another beneficiary of the AID IGLR project is 23-year-old Mukeshimana Clementine, who received 10 kg of a potato variety called Ndamira from SPF in collaboration with AGRA. After planting, she harvested 115 kg. This young woman, who farms on land provided by her parents, says this variety is different from others she has known.
“Ndamira is an excellent seed because it matures quickly and produces a high yield. It takes only three and a half months to mature, while the seeds we used previously took four months,” she explains.
She adds, “After harvesting 80 kg, I sold 35 kg for 285,000 Rwandan Francs, which allowed me to become a livestock owner. I used that money to buy two ships. Now, I can afford fertilizer and other essentials.”
Farmers and others involved in the AID- IGLR project emphasize its uniqueness. “The uniqueness of this project is to support seed companies in developing marketing skills.
We have never had a project in Rwanda that supports the private sector in developing marketing strategies and skills. I have been in agriculture for 30 years, but I have never seen a project that supports the private sector in developing these skills,” says Francois Nsengiyumva, the managing director of KGB Seed Company.
The AID -IGLR project aims to bridge the gap in information regarding available technologies by supporting seed companies and input dealers to raise awareness about high-yield, nutrient-dense seed varieties. It seeks to change the behavior of late-adopting farmers toward improved inputs and secure markets for their products.
This initiative also addresses the gap between the availability of new agricultural technologies and their utilization, ultimately impacting farmers’ lives and the economy of the country. The project connects farmers with improved input suppliers through various extension events to increase awareness of high-quality inputs (improved seeds, fertilizers, lime, etc.).
AGRA and partners have adopted different delivery pathways to accelerate the dissemination and adoption of improved agricultural technologies that households can cultivate for both nutrition and increased productivity. They have implemented a VBA/FP model where a mother demo featuring various technologies and crop varieties is optimally managed by seed companies with technical assistance from CIAT and CIP centers.
At least 100 farmers around the mother demo receive small packs of seeds (one technology or crop variety) to plant. They learn how to manage crops from the mother demo through regular visits, and the FP facilitates the activity.
Through this model, Kilimo General Business and Seed Potato Fund joint venture companies promoted their varieties, including MUH 501 (a maize variety for KGB) and Cyerekezo and Kirundo (potato varieties from SPF). The seed companies delivered small packs of 100 grams of MUH 501 and 5 kg of Kirundo and Cyerekezo for farmers to test in their farms.
After harvesting, farmers decided to buy these varieties and expand their production areas for hybrid maize MUH 501. Interestingly, one farmer who received Kirundo appreciated the harvest and chose to recycle it, while a neighbor who received Cyerekezo in the following season found it performed exceptionally well and decided to adopt Cyerekezo as well.
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