The government plans to establish large "grain handling hubs” with a combined capacity to process and store more than 200,000 tonnes of maize, rice, and beans in a bid to cut post-harvest losses to below 5 per cent by 2029, down from 13.8 per cent in 2023.

Grain handling hubs are centralised, high-capacity facilities designed to efficiently manage the post-harvest processing, storage, and movement of grains such as maize and rice.

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These hubs serve as key nodes in the grain value chain, connecting farmers to markets, processors, and storage infrastructure.

With such facilities, the government aims to reduce post-harvest losses to below 5 per cent by 2029, down from 13.8 per cent recorded in 2023.

Maize has been prioritised for post-harvest handling facilities in the next five years based on recorded seasonal production.

According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), maize production was estimated at 481,246 metric tonnes in the 2025 Agriculture Season A, cultivated over 244,095 hectares.

The highest maize production was recorded in the Eastern Province, particularly in Nyagatare, Kirehe, Gatsibo, and Kayonza districts.

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The national average yield was two tonnes per hectare, with small-scale farmers harvesting 1.9 tonnes per hectare and large-scale farmers 4.1 tonnes per hectare.

Solange Uwituze, Acting Director General of the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), told The New Times that the establishment of four "large grain handling hubs” with a total annual handling capacity of 100,000 tonnes of maize and 72,000 tonnes of rice is underway.

The Enhancing Post-Harvest Management for Grains in Rwanda project focuses on expanding storage capacity, improving grain handling infrastructure, and introducing modern processing equipment for maize and rice.

"Each of the four hubs will handle up to 25,000 tonnes of maize and 18,000 tonnes of rice annually. Each hub will be equipped with pre-cleaning equipment for maize and dryer machines with a capacity of eight tonnes per hour, suitable for both maize and rice,” she said.

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The hubs collect and weigh grain from multiple farmers or cooperatives and facilitate bulk handling and aggregation for larger-scale buyers.

Their key functions include removing impurities such as dust, stones, and husks to improve grain quality and safety, and using industrial dryers to reduce moisture content, preventing mould and spoilage.

They provide temporary or long-term storage before sale or distribution, prepare grain for transport and markets using mechanical or manual bagging systems, perform grading and testing to ensure compliance with food safety and market standards, and act as trading points or distribution hubs for domestic and regional grain markets.

The project also involves constructing 10 small grain handling hubs.

Each small hub will include a dryer machine with a three-tonne per hour capacity, modular silos for temporary storage with a total capacity of seven tonnes of maize, and a manual bagging system for improved packaging and handling at the community level.

80,000-tonne high-capacity storage facilities, Maize shellers

Construction of high-capacity silos with 80,000 tonnes of total storage capacity, distributed across four strategic sites, is also planned, Uwituze said.

Each silo will handle 20,000 tonnes.

The silos are large storage structures for bulk storage of grain or other agricultural products.

They are intended to improve post-harvest handling, ensure food security, and reduce losses due to spoilage, pests, and moisture for maize, rice, beans, and other crops.

She said modern equipment including 10 high-capacity maize shellers, each with a 20-tonne per hour processing capacity, as well as 10 modular silos with six-tonne capacity each, will be acquired to enhance flexible on-site storage options.

Uwituze added that the Commercialization and De-Risking for Agricultural Transformation Project (CDAT) will enable the construction of warehouses dedicated to the storage of maize, rice, and Irish potatoes.

The project will also provide shellers and dryer machines to support effective drying and shelling processes.

To date, 26 projects have successfully signed contracts for the acquisition and implementation of key post-harvest infrastructure, including 13 dryer projects aimed at improving crop drying capacity, and 13 warehouse and silo projects designed to enhance storage and reduce spoilage.

Farmers say the facilities are still few.

KABOKU, a cooperative representing over 1,000 farmers in Nyagatare district, can produce between 4,000 to 5,000 tons of cereals per season, but its 58 post-harvest facilities cannot even store half of it, a challenge that leaves much of their produce vulnerable to pests and being spoilt.

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Madeleine Uwimana, a maize and tomato farmer from Kirehe District, said a lack of proper drying facilities causes aflatoxin contamination in maize, while tomatoes are wasted before reaching distant markets.

"Maize processing industries reject some produce due to aflatoxin. Over 15 per cent of maize can be affected, while around 40 per cent of tomatoes can be wasted due to a lack of cooling and storage facilities. We need more drying and storage facilities for maize and cold rooms for tomatoes in the communities,” she said.

Reducing post-harvest losses for fresh produce

Patrick Karangwa, Director General of Agriculture Modernisation at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), said cooling facilities are needed for fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables that are exported.

"NAEB is helping exporters. The Cooling Centre of Excellence is also expected to play a big role. The government can also subsidise projects with solutions at 50 % to reduce losses through cold chains,” he said.

He added that other innovations include adding value to produce, such as processing sweet potatoes into flour, drying vegetables into powders, and producing fruit juices for local markets and exports.

The Kigali Wholesale Market for Fresh Produce is expected to reduce post-harvest losses, currently estimated at 40%.

It will improve access by introducing services such as cleaning, grading, drying, cold storage, and quality control. These services are crucial for preserving produce, particularly for farmers in remote areas who lack access to transport and storage infrastructure.

"If our produce delays reaching the market, it rots. Currently, we have no facilities to store it,” said Yvonne Tuyishime, a vegetable farmer from Bushoki Sector, Rulindo District. "This market is coming at the right time.”

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Annonciata Nyirantibibuka, a farmer from Muko Sector in Musanze District, echoed this concern, stressing the need for cold rooms:"Our vegetables and fruits barely last two days. We need better storage so we can sell even a week after harvesting.”

According to the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), five post-harvest centers are under construction, set to be completed by 2026, to dry chili and cure onions across the country.

The national post-harvest centre will be built in Kigali at the NAEB headquarters, while other centres will be built in the districts of Rulindo, Bugesera, Nyagatare and Rubavu.

The national centre, currently under construction, will have the capacity for 40 tonnes of chili and onions per day.

Each local centre will have the capacity to process 9.6 tonnes of chili and 34.5 tonnes of onions per day.