Farmers have welcomed a bill recently passed by the Chamber of Deputies to reform the agricultural sector, saying it has the potential to improve access to quality seeds, strengthen agricultural research and promote professional farming. The bill, approved on Thursday, July 23, aims to promote professional agriculture, increase productivity, strengthen food security, encourage knowledge- and technology-driven farming, align Rwanda's agricultural standards with international benchmarks, and expand private sector participation in agricultural services. ALSO READ: Parliament passes bill to modernise agriculture The legislation now awaits presidential assent before it can be gazetted and come into force. It consolidates several laws governing agriculture, crop varieties, seeds, plant health and agricultural inputs into a single legal framework. Among its provisions are the classification of farmers, regulation of agricultural inputs, protection of plant varieties, seed certification, pest and disease control measures, and phytosanitary standards. Detailed implementation measures will be issued through ministerial orders. Jean Claude Shirimpumu, Vice Chairperson of the Agriculture Cluster at the Private Sector Federation (PSF) and Chairperson of the Rwanda Pig Farmers Association, said the bill is a significant step forward but stressed the need to educate farmers about its provisions. ALSO READ: New bill sets stage for modern, market-led farming There is a need to mobilise and educate farmers so they understand the law and how it is intended to protect and support them, he said. Shirimpumu said provisions on crop variety registration and agricultural research could help address long-standing concerns over poor-quality seeds. In the past, farmers sometimes received seed varieties with poor germination rates or that failed to perform as expected. Strengthening research and regulating crop varieties should improve the quality of seeds available to farmers, he said. He also welcomed the proposed classification of farmers, saying it would enable government and other stakeholders to tailor support according to farmers' needs and production levels. ALSO READ: New law to end ‘anyone can be a farmer’ approach, professionalise sector Categorising farmers will make it easier to recognise those operating at different levels and provide them with the support they need. Farmers adopting modern, technology-driven agriculture, for example, can receive assistance that matches their level of production, he said. Shirimpumu also praised tighter regulation of imported crop varieties. The registration and control of imported varieties will help ensure they are suited to our conditions while preventing the introduction of pests and diseases, he said. However, he cautioned that legal reforms alone would not transform the sector, arguing that greater access to agricultural finance remains critical. A specialised agricultural bank would make it easier for farmers to access loans tailored to agricultural production cycles. In countries such as Kenya and China, specialised agricultural finance has helped farmers invest and expand production, he said. He noted that conventional lenders often fail to account for the seasonal nature of farming. A farmer may apply for a loan ahead of the planting season, but because some lenders do not understand agricultural production cycles, the funds are released after the season has ended. That defeats the purpose of the loan, he said. Evariste Tugirinshuti, President of the Federation of Maize Farmers' Cooperatives, also welcomed the bill, particularly its emphasis on research and improved seed systems. Research is essential for developing crop varieties that are resilient to climate change and resistant to pests and diseases. That will help farmers reduce losses and increase productivity, he said. Tugirinshuti said classifying farmers would also help policymakers better understand and address the challenges facing small-scale producers. Once farmers are identified according to their level of production, it becomes easier to respond to their specific needs. Small-scale farmers, for example, often struggle to access markets, but proper identification can help organise them into cooperatives and connect them to market opportunities, he said. If signed into law by the President, the legislation will replace several existing laws governing agriculture and establish a unified legal framework for the sector, with detailed implementation guidelines to be issued through ministerial orders.
