For Froduard Bazi, an agricultural cooperative leader in Gatsibo District, access to reliable irrigation equipment can determine whether farmers keep producing during dry periods or watch their harvests decline.

Bazi represents about 1,600 farmers growing rice, maize and soybeans. He says their cooperative has struggled to maintain irrigation equipment because spare parts are difficult to find and replacement machinery remains costly.

"In 2012, we bought 12 irrigation machines, each costing about Rwf500,000. All of them have since broken down, and we have been unable to repair them because spare parts are not available,” he said.

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Without functioning irrigation equipment, he said, farmers have been forced to rely on basins and watering cans — a labour-intensive alternative that has affected production.

"In the last Season B, for example, we normally harvested about 1,200 tonnes, but our production fell to only 40 tonnes,” Bazi said.

His experience illustrates some of the challenges the government will have to address as it moves to decentralise the delivery of Small-Scale Irrigation Technology (SSIT).

A study by CCOAIB, an umbrella organisation of local non-governmental organisations found that farmers can wait about three months to obtain SSIT equipment under the current procurement system.

The study recommends transferring procurement and approval of applications closer to districts, arguing that this could reduce delays and make irrigation services more responsive to farmers’ needs.

Funding will be critical

Florence Uwamahoro, the Acting Director General of the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), said decentralisation has already begun, but its pace will depend on available resources and the needs and capacity of individual districts.

"Decentralisation of small-scale irrigation technology is a process, not something that can be done instantly. It has started and will develop depending on available capacity, including the budget,” she said.

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Uwamahoro cautioned, however, that transferring procurement responsibilities to districts without providing them with the necessary financial resources would not solve the underlying problem.

"Decentralisation is very important, but what do we decentralise? We need to understand that. If we decentralise procurement without the budget, the two do not go together,” she said.

CCOAIB’s assessment found that none of the four districts studied — Gatsibo, Muhanga, Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru — had a dedicated budget allocation for SSIT.

The organisation recommends creating specific district budget lines for irrigation activities to ensure that decentralised responsibilities are matched with adequate financing.

District capacity remains a challenge

The study also identified gaps in staffing and institutional capacity.

None of the four districts had a dedicated irrigation officer, although they had agronomists and irrigation committees.

CCOAIB recommends filling vacant irrigation positions and providing district and sector agronomists with additional training to help them manage and operate SSIT infrastructure.

The districts also differ in their readiness to take on greater responsibility.

Muhanga met four of the six criteria assessed, while Gatsibo and Nyaruguru met three each, and Nyamagabe met two.

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The assessment considered legal and regulatory arrangements, district planning, human resources, financial capacity, procurement systems and private-sector engagement.

CCOAIB argues that decentralisation should therefore be accompanied by a clear regulatory framework, stronger institutional capacity and effective accountability mechanisms.

Farmers need equipment and support services

In Muhanga District, farmer representative Yukunda Uzamukunda said inadequate irrigation equipment was already constraining agricultural production.

Her cooperative, Iyabem, grows maize and horticultural crops on about 186 hectares but does not have enough irrigation machines to serve all its farmers.

"Without irrigation, crop yields decline and production takes longer,” she said.

Uzamukunda called for more irrigation equipment as well as infrastructure to harvest and store water for use during dry periods.

The CCOAIB assessment identified the cost of equipment, operating expenses and difficulties accessing spare parts among the main barriers limiting the adoption of small-scale irrigation.

Farmers interviewed in Muhanga also said reduced financial support had made irrigation technologies increasingly difficult to afford.

Private sector could fill service gaps

Greater private-sector participation is another component of the proposed decentralisation model.

The assessment recommends involving private companies more actively in supplying irrigation equipment, spare parts, repairs and technical services.

Uwamahoro said RAB is also working with Rwanda Engineering and Manufacturing Corporation (REMCO) to strengthen domestic capacity to supply irrigation equipment.

Another model under consideration would allow private companies to provide irrigation as a service. Under such an arrangement, farmers could pay to use irrigation equipment instead of having to purchase and maintain machinery themselves.

CCOAIB says this approach could also stimulate local markets for irrigation equipment, maintenance services and technical expertise.

Rwanda targets wider irrigation coverage

The proposed changes come as Rwanda seeks to significantly expand small-scale irrigation.

The government aims to increase land covered by SSIT from 24,873 hectares in 2024 to 41,031 hectares by 2029.

The estimated budget required to develop, operate and manage the additional irrigation area between 2024 and 2029 is Rwf159.7 billion.

CCOAIB recommends that districts take greater responsibility for implementation, while RAB retains responsibility for technical standards, certification, quality assurance and monitoring.

For farmers such as Bazi, however, the success of decentralisation will ultimately be measured by something more immediate: whether irrigation equipment, spare parts and technical support are available when they are needed.

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