When you find him at his farm in Nyamirama and Mukarange sectors, Kayonza District, in Eastern Province, you realise that Vincent Mwiseneza is a determined man on a mission to address food insecurity.
Passionate about his work, Mwiseneza left his office job to dedicate himself to agriculture. His goal is to enhance food productivity in the face of a growing global population challenge, not only in Rwanda but worldwide. The demand for food is at an all-time high.
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The use of improved seeds not only increases crop yield but also enhances the efficiency and productivity of inputs like fertilizers, irrigation, farm machinery, and human labor, ultimately helping sustainable crop production, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Mwiseneza aims to establish a connection between certified seeds that enhance yields and the augmentation of food production. He believes that if every farmer adopts this approach, with the government&039;s support, it would greatly enhance food security.
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In an interview with The New Times, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Ildephonse Musafiri, highlighted the urgent need to increase farm productivity using modern implements such as fertilizers. Musafiri pointed out that as long as Rwandan farmers don’t adapt to these practices, productivity per hectare of major crops will remain very low, far below the global standard, which needs to be addressed as the population continues to increase.
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Musafiri stated that in order to achieve increased food productivity, it is necessary for people to return to farming and for the country to make the appropriate investments to ensure 100 percent food security. Currently, Rwanda is at approximately 80 percent.
The need to adjust
Mwiseneza, a 35-year-old agriprenuer and founder of You and I Best Seeds, a Kayonza-based seed multiplication company, said that with the ever-changing weather patterns and unpredictable seasons influenced by climate change, it is the right time to adapt to agricultural models that emphasise quality and quantity to avoid an impending food crisis.
Mwiseneza specialises in multiplying the orange-fleshed sweet potato which is known to be one of the richest natural sources of beta carotene, a plant-based compound that is converted to vitamin A when consumed.
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Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes have numerous health benefits, which include boosting immunity. They also help ease digestion and treat bronchitis, arthritis, and stomach ulcers, among other benefits.
Mwiseneza multiplies certified seeds supplied by the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), in the district of Kayonza, where he has 25 hectares, and Gisagara—where he farms on 30 hectares, making it 55 hectares in total.
"We produce Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes certified seeds which we supply to farmers. We&039;ve been working with different clients including government institutions, projects, NGOs, associations, and individuals to whom we supply seeds,” Mwiseneza said.
Upon completing his undergraduate studies in agriculture in 2012, from the former National University of Rwanda (NUR), now the University of Rwanda (UR), Mwiseneza got a job with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.
But his mission was never to sit in an office.
"I worked with the ministry for about five years, from 2013 until the end of 2017. But my ambition was not to sit and be comfortable in an office. I really like agriculture, not because I studied it, but because it is in my blood.”
He is particularly passionate in the field of seed multiplication, which he does not just see as a business to enrich himself, but rather as a personal contribution to boosting the country’s food security systems.
Defying stereotypes
Unlike many young people who view agriculture as a burdensome sector that requires a lot of investment and physical presence, to him it is a vital sector that requires the input of everyone—young or old. He sees it as an opportunity to do something to positively impact his own community.
He did not require a lot of capital to start off, much as money is a key requirement in what he does; what comes first is the desire and drive to do something.
"After registering my company in 2018, I started by renting two hectares of land at a cost of Rwf1.5 million for a year, and I started multiplying seeds. In total, my starting capital was Rwf8million.
"After a year and a half, I got my first clients, farmers who were looking for cuttings. Just like that, I started making money and saving towards buying my own land. Today, I have about 10 hectares of land five years down the road,” Mwiseneza said.
While it sounds like Mwiseneza took an easy route to success, he faced a number of challenges, mainly to do with producing many seeds, but he could not easily sell them because the purchasing power of farmers is very low.
Sometimes they produce more than 10 hectares of seedlings, but the clients do not arrive promptly, resulting in the loss of the seedlings. This is because they are perishable, particularly when they do not find a market immediately.
"We cannot maintain cuttings for a long time. So, definitely they get wasted and we just resort to harvesting tubers. When you compare the efforts invested and the money we get from tubers, you find that we incurred losses compared to selling seeds,” he said.
This, Mwiseneza said, happened many times because farmers are yet to fully get a feel for growing improved seeds, mainly because of the cost, which forces them to stick to local breeds that they acquire freely. That, in a way, hampers efforts to improve food production, especially when farmers continue growing less productive varieties. He believes that if that gap is addressed, yields can tremendously improve.
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Despite the challenges, he has not given up and his persistence is paying off. One thing he is sure of is that he will not be hopping from one office to another hunting for a job.
Mwiseneza also takes pride in the fact that by doing what he does, he is employing and empowering others who assist him in his endeavors, which is more fulfilling than relying on a monthly paycheque.
Mwiseneza has been able to achieve some personal development goals, including buying himself the land in Kayonza on which he plans to build a house. He encourages the youth to see the opportunities in agriculture. He hopes to expand his activities on a span of 100 hectares in the near future, of which 50 hectares will be his own land on which to produce even more varieties of crops that will help boost food security in the country.
Ending malnutrition
Apart from orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, he also produces other varieties promoted by RAB, including ‘kabode’ and ‘vita’ sweet potatoes, and hopes to increase output because of the benefits they offer.
"These varieties are good, especially for infants, lactating and pregnant women as well as elderly people, because they are rich in vitamins and other nutritional benefits. They perform well during the rainy and dry seasons and can grow in any type of soil.
"You can grow them in acidic soils, marshlands, or hillsides, and a good harvest is assured. I believe if all farmers adapted to growing these varieties, we wouldn’t have food shortages in the country.”
He believes that if private seed multipliers worked closely with government institutions, and certain incentives were given to more farmers to have access to improved varieties through the agricultural value chain, it would be a game-changer in improving food security.
"We encourage farmers to buy and grow improved seeds and if the government can also promote what we do, the challenge of malnutrition would be eradicated for good,” he said.
At the moment, they work with farmers, especially through cooperatives.
But Mwiseneza believes a lot more can be done to reach more farmers countrywide.