Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) has refuted allegations made by Kenya Seed Company Rwanda regarding unpaid invoices. The company had claimed to be on the brink of collapse due to what it said were years of debt from the Rwandan government, according to a media report by The EastAfrican on Wednesday, August 6. ALSO READ: Did you know one RDF company produces a third of Rwanda’s seeds? “RAB records show that there are no pending unpaid invoices from Kenya Seed Company Rwanda Ltd, the board said on Thursday in response to the media report. If the company has duly supported unpaid invoices, it should submit them to the respective districts or to RAB for payment, depending on the period of the claimed arrears.” The Kenyan company has a subsidiary based in Rwanda. In 2021, Rwanda announced plans to reduce the importation of maize, wheat, and soya seeds, as local seed production had begun. At the time, Rwanda had been importing approximately 4,900 metric tonnes of improved seeds annually, including 3,500 metric tonnes of maize, 800 metric tonnes of wheat, and 600 metric tonnes of soya bean, mainly from Kenya and Zambia. As of 2020, the country was spending around Rwf7 billion per year on imported seeds. ALSO READ: Rwanda will no longer import maize, wheat and soybean seeds In 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the National Seed Association of Rwanda, and the Private Sector Federation (PSF) launched a roadmap aimed at strengthening partnerships to eliminate poor-quality seeds by 2030. The roadmap advocates for the creation of a National Seed Certification Agency, which would be responsible for setting standards, monitoring seed quality, and enforcing compliance. This initiative is expected to build farmers’ confidence and encourage further investment in seed production. The strategy also proposes the establishment of a vegetable seed production centre in Rwanda, addressing the current lack of adequate infrastructure for local vegetable seed production. The roadmap also calls for rigorous testing of new seed varieties to better prepare farmers for the impacts of climate change.
