A centre of excellence for crop biotechnology is set be established to develop and deploy disease-resistant seeds under a new five-year project, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. Crop biotechnology refers to the use of modern biological and genetic science to improve crops for agriculture and food production. It involves techniques such as genetic engineering and gene editing to enhance resistance to pests and diseases, increase productivity and improve climate resilience. ALSO READ: How three biotech crops could help Rwandan farmers curb losses The government, in partnership with the International Potato Center (CIP) and other global research institutions, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has launched a new five-year initiative dubbed the Rwanda BioCap Project, aimed at building national capacity in modern crop biotechnology. The initiative will establish a Centre of Excellence for Crop Biotechnology at the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) Rubona Station. The centre will equip Rwandan scientists with advanced skills in genetic transformation, genome editing, molecular diagnostics and biosafety. The programme will strengthen Rwanda’s ability to develop, regulate and deploy improved crop varieties tailored to national needs, thereby supporting food security, climate resilience and sustainable agricultural growth. The project will initially focus on three priority crops that are critical to Rwanda’s food security: potato resistant to late blight, cassava resistant to brown streak virus, and banana resistant to bacterial wilt. ALSO READ: Cassava farmers wary as viral disease ravages crops “Our agriculture sector continues to face serious challenges, including emerging pests such as fall armyworm and mango mealybug, and diseases such as cassava brown streak disease, potato bacterial wilt, banana Xanthomonas wilt, Fusarium wilt and drought stress—all intensified by climate change,” said Solange Uwituze, State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. She said the Government of Rwanda is therefore committed to science-based solutions, including biotechnology, to protect crops and boost productivity. Biotechnology, she added, is embedded in Rwanda’s strategic frameworks, including the Fifth Strategic Plan for Agricultural Transformation (PSTA V) and the National Strategy for Transformation, which aim to increase agricultural productivity by 50 per cent. “This project will establish a Centre of Excellence for Crop Biotechnology at RAB, capable of genetic transformation, genome editing and advanced molecular diagnostics,” Uwituze said. ALSO READ: Rwanda finally passes law on GMOs: What next? “It will also strengthen Rwanda’s ability to generate regulatory, environmental and food safety data, and integrate biotech crops into performance trials, seed systems and extension services.” Rwanda has enacted a Biosafety Law and established institutional biosafety committees to guide the safe use of modern biotechnology. “The Government of Rwanda is fully committed to ensuring that biotech crops reach farmers as soon as possible,” Uwituze noted. The agriculture sector generates nearly 70 per cent of export revenues and supplies about 90 per cent of the country’s food needs. However, Rwanda has a total land area of just 26,000 square kilometres. Following the National Land Use Master Plan, only 1.4 million hectares are available for agriculture. “On this same land, we must feed a rapidly growing population—currently about 14 million people, projected to reach 23 million by 2050. This reality demands innovation,” Uwituze explained. She said that of the 1.4 million hectares, approximately 600,000 hectares have been identified as consolidated “food basket areas” to be cultivated professionally. “These areas will deploy biotechnology and other innovations to increase productivity.” Florence Uwamahoro, Acting Director General of RAB, said the BioCap Project will help strengthen seed system aggregation, certification pipelines and public–private partnerships to enable widespread deployment of improved crop varieties. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s new Rwf13bn agri-biotech programme “There are concrete innovations this project will deliver. First, the transformation of two farmer-preferred potato varieties to achieve resistance to late blight—one of the most destructive diseases in our farming systems.” “Second, the integration of virus resistance in cassava to combat cassava brown streak disease, which threatens food security for millions,” she added. “Third, the gene editing of banana varieties, including farmer-preferred types such as Scandisi and Jaggi, to confer resistance to banana Xanthomonas wilt and Fusarium wilt.” The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) will support the banana gene-editing pipeline, while the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will strengthen the cassava biotechnology component. Capacity of Rwandan scientists Eric Magembe, a biotechnologist at the International Potato Center, said the five-year programme is timely in building the capacity of Rwandan scientists to develop biotech crops locally. “Once the biotech crops are developed, we will support scientists to take them through the approval process as varieties, and then help with their adoption and deployment,” Magembe said. “For potatoes, we are using genetic transformation. For banana, we are applying advanced gene- Lawrence Kent, Senior Programme Officer for Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said the Foundation has made a new investment—estimated at about $14 million over five years—to support the establishment of the Centre of Excellence at RAB Rubona. The investment will strengthen research infrastructure, develop human capacity, and support the generation of regulatory and safety data to ensure biotech crops are both productive and safe for farmers and consumers. “In Rwanda, the Foundation has supported efforts to use modern biotechnology to improve staple crops such as potato, maize, cassava and banana—crops that are central to smallholder farming and national food security but are heavily affected by pests and diseases,” Kent said. Beyond individual crop products, the initiative aims to build long-term national expertise and position Rwanda as a regional leader in crop biotechnology. “Rwandan scientists will gain advanced skills in genetic transformation, genome editing and biosafety evaluation,” said Simon Heck, Director General of the International Potato Center. “This will position Rwanda as a regional hub for crop biotechnology.” He added that beyond research, the project is expected to stimulate private-sector investment in seed companies, agricultural production and food processing, creating new economic opportunities while strengthening food security and farmer livelihoods.
