The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) will pilot the operationalisation of food basket sites on 45,304 hectares during Agriculture Season A of 2026, according to Solange Uwituze, the board’s Acting Director General. ALSO READ: How farming seasons drive decisions in fields, offices In agriculture, food basket sites typically refer to zones that are major producers of food. These regions are metaphorically called “food baskets” because they produce large quantities of crops and livestock that fill the basket of a country or region’s food supply. Agriculture Season A, which spans from September to December, is the main production season. “This season, 2026A, coincides with the operationalisation of the food basket sites approach and the customisation of extension activities to provide advisory services tailored to different categories of farmers and crop value chains. ALSO READ: Meteo Rwanda forecasts ‘normal rains’ for September-December season This, therefore, calls for concerted and intensified efforts and engagement among all stakeholders to ensure the optimisation of food production,” she said. Food basket sites have so far been mapped across 495,155 hectares from 13,379 locations. “Site profiling is ongoing. We are also deploying field officers and skilled agronomists to the sites. We are conducting site-specific needs assessments and preparing site-specific packages in terms of agronomic practices and farm management, in order to ensure optimal production. We have also assigned site-based agronomists and extension agents,” Uwituze noted. She added that, to enhance farming preparations, farmers have been encouraged to cultivate all available land. “We are also increasing the use of farming inputs—namely seeds, mineral fertilisers, organic fertilisers, and lime—to optimise yields through consolidated and food basket sites, alongside customised extension services and intensive farmer mobilisation and awareness campaigns,” she added. ALSO READ: Inside efforts to improve weather forecast accuracy Farmers have been advised to prepare their land for cultivation between 8th September and October, and to begin acquiring agrochemicals from authorised agrodealers. By August 28, three-quarters of farmers had already registered on the Smart Nkunganire System to access inputs such as lime, chemical fertilisers, and seeds. “In districts like Kirehe and Kayonza, where rainfall is expected to arrive late, farmers have been urged not to rely solely on maize cultivation but to diversify with early-maturing crops such as sweet potatoes,” she said. Given the weather forecast, more organic fertilisers will be required this season compared to previous years, she noted. She highlighted that 70 per cent of farmers organised in cooperatives have already secured improved inputs, representing a significantly higher rate than last year. The target for Season 2026A is to increase the cultivated land area by three per cent compared to Season A 2025, rising from 795,744 hectares to 819,142 hectares, through the mobilisation of all available arable land. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s agricultural produce up by 300,000 tonnes The maize cultivation area is expected to increase from 269,112 hectares to 277,186 hectares, while beans are projected to rise from 371,930 hectares to 383,088 hectares. Irish potato cultivation is expected to increase from 62,021 hectares to 63,882 hectares, cassava from 59,115 hectares to 60,888 hectares, rice from 15,801 hectares to 15,801 hectares, soybean from 5,615 hectares to 5,783 hectares, wheat from 5,995 hectares to 6,174 hectares, and vegetables from 6,156 hectares to 6,341 hectares. Evariste Tugirinshuti, President of the National Federation of Maize Farmers’ Cooperatives and a maize farmer in Kigarama Sector, Kirehe District, said he is planning to expand his farming area. “Last year, during Season A, I cultivated four hectares, but this time I plan to increase it to 4.5 hectares, thanks to the ongoing mobilisation encouraging farmers to expand cultivation,” he explained. According to him, the mobilisation campaign is urging farmers to make use of all available land, even the parts that were previously left idle, in a bid to increase farmland and strengthen food security. “I was able to secure an additional half a hectare from a neighbour who rented it to me,” he added. Preparations are already underway. “We have dug holes for seed planting, and the organic fertilisers are ready. We are also receiving agrochemicals and seeds, which we plan to start applying on 15th September,” Tugirinshuti noted. However, he also pointed out ongoing challenges. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s Rwf7tn agriculture strategic plan “The rising cost of agrochemicals could discourage farmers. Even if we expand the farming area, some fertilisers and seeds might not be applied as required, which could reduce yields despite planting on larger plots,” he warned. Rice planting has already been completed, according to Jean Damascene Rwamwanga, a rice farmer in Rusizi District. “We had already completed planting by August, along with the first application of NPK fertiliser, which is usually done 14 days after planting. We are now waiting for October to carry out weeding and apply urea fertilisers. Farmers still planting at this stage risk delays, which could negatively impact their yields.” For rice, Season A runs from August to February. “There is a project by RAB known as CDAT, which works with farmers in some parts of the country to ensure water availability in swamps, in order to increase rice farming areas. However, our region is not included in this support, and the farming area has remained the same as last year. We operate as a cooperative cultivating around 900 hectares, of which 600 hectares are dedicated to rice. Each farmer manages approximately 20 acres,” he added.
