In 2013, David Matabaro, a cassava farmer from Ruhango District, saw his entire 26-hectare cassava plantation wiped out by the devastating Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD). “I expected to harvest between 30 and 35 tonnes per hectare. I had a supply contract with Kinazi Cassava Plant, but the disease destroyed my entire crops before maturity. All the tubers rotted, and the factory rejected my produce,” Matabaro recalled. ALSO READ: Cassava farmers wary as viral disease ravages crops He lost 910 tonnes of cassava in a single season, with each kilogramme valued at Rwf 100 at the time. The outbreak severely impacted incomes and food security for many Rwandans, given that over 700,000 families cultivate cassava across 3,980 villages in the Eastern, Western, and Southern Provinces, which collectively produce up to 1.7 million tonnes annually, according to the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). Approximately 200,000 hectares in Rwanda are dedicated to cassava cultivation, making it the country’s third most important crop after bananas and sweet potatoes. Cassava production plummeted from 3.3 million tonnes to just 656,924 tonnes in 2013, and slightly recovered to 900,000 tonnes in 2014, due to the CBSD outbreak. ALSO READ: Rwanda banks on seed multipliers to increase cassava production However, hope is on the horizon as new genetically modified (biotech) cassava varieties, engineered to resist both CBSD and cassava mosaic disease, are being developed and tested in districts such as Huye, Nyanza, and Bugesera. According to Athanase Nduwumuremyi, Senior Research Fellow and Roots and Tubers Programme Coordinator at RAB, and national coordinator of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Rwanda, these biotech cassava seeds are expected to be released to farmers in the upcoming agricultural Season A. “The process involves research and development, confined field trials, environmental release, and commercial release,” Nduwumuremyi explained. Approval from the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is required for field trials to proceed. ALSO READ: Rwanda finally passes law on GMOs: What next? “All GMOs approved for use today have passed rigorous safety checks. Scientific studies show they are as safe as conventional foods,” REMA stated in its guidance on GMOs. Four years of research on these biotech cassava varieties have now yielded positive results, Nduwumuremyi confirmed. “What remains is authorization from REMA to allow distribution to farmers.” Irish potato and maize also in the pipeline In addition to cassava, Rwanda plans to pilot three biotech crops — cassava, Irish potato, and maize — on farmers’ fields by the end of 2025, with a view to wider adoption. For maize, researchers are focusing on drought-tolerant varieties as well as varieties resistant to pests like fall armyworm and stem borer. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s new Rwf13bn agri-biotech programme A biotech variety of Irish potato resistant to late blight — a major threat to Rwanda’s potato farmers — was trialled in Musanze District. Late blight can decimate up to 80% of crops during epidemic years. Musanze and the northern volcanic region contribute over 80% of the country’s potato production. Scientists from Michigan State University (MSU) and the International Potato Center (CIP) have genetically modified potatoes to resist late blight by incorporating three resistance genes from wild relatives of potato into popular local varieties such as Shangi (Ndamira) and Victoria. “We are working towards crop varieties that eliminate the need for agro-chemicals. About 70% of the trial phase is complete,” Nduwumuremyi said. Adrien Ishimwe, a potato farmer from Busogo Sector in Musanze, said, “During the rainy season, late blight affects up to 90% of the crop. We spray chemicals at least ten times in two months, but even then, yields are poor. In one case, I expected 200 kg but harvested only 60 kg.” The excessive use of chemicals also harms pollinators like bees, impacting honey production. According to biotechnologist Eric Magembe, biotech potatoes without the need for agro-chemicals could yield between 40 and 50 tonnes per hectare. For maize, Rwanda plans to introduce TELA maize — a genetically modified variety already approved in several African countries. Since TELA has passed regulatory stages elsewhere, Rwanda may skip confined trials to avoid duplication. TELA maize offers resistance to pests like fall armyworm, which have increasingly developed resistance to pesticides. A trial site has been earmarked in Nyagatare District. Maize is grown on 280,000 hectares annually in Rwanda. Some farmers report losing up to 40% of their harvest in the first season of 2024. “We apply three types of pesticides, but when armyworms spread widely, the chemicals often fail,” said Jeanne Nyiramuhore, a maize farmer from Kirehe District. From October 2024 to October 2029, Rwanda will implement a new programme, supported by over $9.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to introduce these three biotech crops for cultivation. Uptake in Africa Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), noted that Rwanda is following in the footsteps of Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, which lead Africa in biotech crop production. “The benefits are clear. Rwanda will soon have access to TELA maize, as well as biotech cassava and potatoes protected against devastating diseases,” he said. Kanangire also emphasised that AATF has worked to ensure these technologies are royalty-free, making them accessible to smallholder farmers at minimal or no additional cost. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN recognises that GMOs can enhance food security by boosting production, improving nutrition, and reducing hunger. Africa’s annual food import bill stands at around $50 billion and is projected to rise without interventions like biotech crops. Current GM crops cultivated on the continent include Bt cotton in South Africa and Burkina Faso, and Bt maize in South Africa and Egypt. In 2024, Rwanda passed a biosafety law to regulate GMOs and protect health and the environment. Rwanda is also a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol governing the cross-border movement of GMOs. REMA serves as the national regulator.
