Govt prioritises food basket sites to boost farm yields

The government will prioritise “food basket sites” (FoBaSi) to increase agricultural output in the 2026A season, which begins in September, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. Agricultural Season A, which runs from September to December — is the country’s main production period. The upcoming 2026A season will mark the operational launch of the FoBaSi approach, alongside customised extension services tailored to different farmer categories and crop value chains, indicates the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). Officials say the strategy demands intensified coordination among all stakeholders to optimise production. The announcement was made on Monday, August 11, 2025, during a national-level meeting bringing together public and private players in the seeds and fertiliser sector to prepare for the season. ALSO READ: Rwanda set to introduce agrihubs, food basket sites in new strategy Why do food basket sites matter? Florence Uwamahoro, Deputy Director General for Agriculture Development at RAB, noted that crop productivity trends over the past decade (2014–2024) indicate that the National Strategy for Transformation (NST 2) target of increasing productivity by 50% for priority crops cannot be achieved without significant changes to current practices. For instance, data from RAB showed that average maize production increased from 1.5 tonnes in 2017 to two tonnes per hectare in 2024, while NST 2 or PSTA 5 targets 2.7 tonnes per hectare, or an increase of 35 per cent compared to the 2024 production. For Irish potato, average production per hectare was 9.8 tonnes in 2017, and dropped to 8.5 tonnes in 2024, while NST 2 or PSTA 5 is 14.7 tonnes, or 79 per cent rise from 2024 output. Rice average production per hectare was 3.2 tonnes in 2017, rose to 4.1 tonnes in 2024 is set to increase by 35 per cent to 5.4 tonnes under NST 2 or PSTA 5 (by 2028/2029). A significant rise is also expected for soybean production per hectare, as it was 0.48 tonnes in 2017, then 0.6 tonnes in 2024, while NST 2 or PSTA 5 seeks to raise that by 250 per cent or more than two times to 1.4 tonnes by 2028/29. Achieving these goals requires full land cultivation, greater use of quality inputs, and yield optimisation through consolidated sites and tailored extension services, according to RAB. Telesphore Ndabamenye, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources, said that while Rwanda has adopted land consolidation, yields have not improved as expected. “We want to focus on consolidated sites to raise yields per hectare. This means closer engagement with farmers, better extension services, and stronger market linkages,” he said. How food basket sites work Food basket sites – abbreviated as BaSi – along with agrihubs, consist of a new management approach of agricultural land, as indicated in PSTA 5 blueprint. Under such an approach, agricultural land with potential for consolidation will be identified and mapped to facilitate focused interventions from both the public and private sectors. This initiative aims to enhance production for food security and commercial purposes. Infrastructure investments, such as irrigation systems, cold chain facilities, post-harvest handling, and feeder roads, will be prioritised based on the specific needs of these sites to strengthen production and market linkages, as per PSTA 5. RAB pointed out that it mapped 13,379 FoBaSi nationwide, covering more than 495,000 hectares. Each site has undergone a needs assessment, with site-based agronomists assigned to guide farmers. While Agrihubs are market-driven agricultural production sites operating on large land parcels with at least 500 hectares, usually run by large-scale farmers or investors with advanced infrastructure, food basket sites consolidate plots of at least 5 hectares, typically managed by smallholder farmer organisations. The government plans to support FoBaSi for five years, after which they should operate autonomously. Private sector readiness Norbert Sendege, CEO of Tri Seed, a local seed company, said the firm has adequate maize, soybean, and wheat seeds and has already begun supplying districts. “We have about 1,000 tonnes of certified maize seeds,” he said, adding that the firm expects to have distributed all of the seeds by the end of this week. Sonia Muhikaze, Government Relations Manager at One Acre Fund – Tubura, said the organisation is fully prepared for the season. “We have certified fertilisers in our stores, ready to reach farmers,” she said, adding that Tubura is urging farmers to register promptly. “We have started supplying inputs to areas where registration is advanced. By the end of last week, we had delivered fertilisers to more than 500 cells.” However, Florence Uwingabire, an agro-dealer from Kirehe District, highlighted challenges caused by farmers failing to register under the Smart Nkunganire System (SNS) for government-subsidised inputs on time. “Sometimes we order quantities based on the number of registered farmers, but unregistered farmers show up once inputs arrive,” she explained. “When we tell them the stock is reserved for registered farmers, they argue they should still get them because they have land titles and want to farm.” She stressed that timely registration is essential to ensure fair and efficient distribution. Fertiliser and seed availability status For 2026A, the government targets 63,750 tonnes of fertiliser. As of August 7, over 25,900 tonnes were already in storage, with another 46,300 tonnes in transit, RAB indicated. Seed availability exceeds targets: while the season requires about 3,800 tonnes, more than 4,600 tonnes — including maize, soybean, and wheat — were already in store. However, only 280 tonnes had reached agro-dealers, with over 3,000 tonnes still under processing. RAB stated that this situation requires greater efforts to ensure timely seed supply to farmers before the season begins. At least two million farmers are expected to register for subsidised inputs through the Smart Nkunganire Sytem (SNS), but only over one million had registered by early August. RAB urged farmers to complete registration by August 20 and set August 30 as the deadline for distributing seeds and fertilisers to avoid delays. “The farm inputs are subsidised by the government. They must be used effectively to achieve higher yields and avoid waste,” Ndabamenye told participants in the Monday meeting, including agro-dealers and district agronomists.

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Govt prioritises food basket sites to boost farm yields