Rwanda is preparing farmers to multiply biotech cassava and Irish potato varieties that have been recommended for release, as the crops await publication in the Official Gazette. Athanase Nduwumuremyi, Coordinator of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) Rwanda, which operates under the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), told The New Times that the varieties had been approved by the variety release committee, with gazetting remaining the final step in the process. ALSO READ: Rwanda nears release of first biotech crops “The varieties are still undergoing the gazetting process. They have been approved by the variety release committee, and the remaining step is their publication in the Official Gazette, which is currently being worked on,” he said. Farmers prepare for multiplication While the varieties await gazetting, RAB has started multiplying them and is working with model farmers to assess their performance ahead of wider distribution. Nduwumuremyi said the farmer participatory variety selection process had already started for potato varieties. ALSO READ: What $10m agri-biotech programme means for Rwanda “We have recently conducted multiplication of the varieties and are preparing to begin farmer participatory variety selection. This process has so far started for potatoes; we are working with model farmers on these varieties,” he said. He added that the model farmers were selected from areas where the respective crops are grown. The plan is for some of these farmers to serve as seed multipliers once the varieties are gazetted, helping increase the supply of planting materials for other farmers. ALSO READ: Potato farmers pin hopes on biotech varieties Nduwumuremyi said the cassava and potato varieties had been submitted to the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA), while the maize varieties were still undergoing trials. Six cassava varieties, two Irish potato varieties Information obtained by The New Timesfrom RICA shows that eight biotech varieties - six cassava and two potato varieties - have completed administrative processing and technical assessment and have been recommended for release by the Crop Variety Release Committee (CVRC). RICA confirmed that administrative processing and technical assessments had been completed, and that the varieties had been assessed and recommended for release by the CVRC. The remaining steps are completion of the legal review and publication in the Official Gazette, after which the varieties will have completed the relevant release and publication process. The development of biotech crops in Rwanda also includes maize varieties, but these have not reached the same stage of the release process as cassava and potato. The biotech crop programme is intended to address agricultural production constraints, including diseases and pests that affect crop yields and farmers’ incomes. These include cassava brown streak disease, potato late blight and fall armyworm, depending on the crop and the trait being developed.
