On November 8, 2024, INES-Ruhengeri officially launched Phase 2 of the Farm to Fork Supply Chain and Ecosystem Project, an initiative aimed at addressing key challenges faced by Rwandan farmers.

The event was inaugurated by Fr. Dr. Jean Bosco Baribeshya, Vice-Chancellor of INES-Ruhengeri, who expressed pride in the project’s positive impact on farmers.

“The initiative exemplifies the university’s mission of applying scientific knowledge to address community challenges,” he stated.

Prof. Emmanuel Kamana, the project’s initiator and coordinator, a lecturer at INES-Ruhengeri with a background in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, emphasized his dedication to supporting farmers through innovation.

“We are committed to advancing climate change solutions and empowering farmers with high-quality seeds and advanced farming techniques, integrating chemical sciences and IoT technology. We are grateful to the farmers and partners who collaborate with us,” Prof. Kamana remarked.

Highlighting the significance of sustainable agriculture in Rwanda, where farming supports around 70% of the population and contributes approximately 33% of the national economy, Prof. Kamana noted that the project aligns with Rwanda’s goal of reducing harmful emissions by 38% by 2030.

Impact of Phase 1 and Expectations for Phase 2

Speaking with ICK News, Isaac Nzabarinda, a potato seed producer specializing in greenhouse cultivation, shared his experience with the project’s first phase.

“INES-Ruhengeri helped us implement sensor technology that monitors our crops and provides valuable data, which has significantly improved our yield. They also introduced us to direct-to-market selling methods, saving time and minimizing losses,” Nzabarinda explained.

Pascal Twizerimana, an agronomist with Holland Greentech and a project partner, highlighted the impact of Phase 1 on farmers’ access to quality seeds, soil understanding, and weather data utilization.

“Before the project, farmers struggled with these challenges. During Phase 1, we received essential training and provided potato seeds to two cooperatives, leading to noticeable improvements. We look forward to Phase 2, where we hope even more farmers will benefit from access to quality seeds,” Twizerimana said.

Running from November 2024 to February 2025, the 2 phase of the project will focus on improving livelihoods through inclusive, high-quality food production and efficient, sustainable farm-to-market solutions.

By tackling issues such as low seed quality and limited market access, the project aims to reduce the substantial losses that farmers often endure.

First launched on March 18, 2023, and funded by the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) through UK-Chemonics, the Farm to Fork project is geared toward enhancing productivity, sustainability, and market access for Rwandan farmers.

The initiative utilizes sensors to measure rainfall, wind, temperature, soil pH, and NPK levels in both open fields and greenhouses, transmitting this valuable data directly to farmers’ mobile phones.

By enabling farmers to make data-driven decisions, the project aims to boost productivity, reduce waste, and build a more resilient agricultural sector.

So far, the project operates in four districts, namely Musanze, Burera, Nyabihu and Rubavu