EUCORD is a Brussels-based non-profit organization that operates in 15 countries. Its operation in Rwanda began in 2014. The NGO’s work is to help farmers reach their full potential while allowing businesses to rely on locally sourced materials. It aims to improve the livelihoods of farmers and benefit local consumers by developing an efficient, competitive agri-sector that stimulates the rural economy. EUCORD also provides end-to-end value chain development services, which include access to finance, capacity building, market assessment and value chain development among others. After increasing the productivity of maize in previous years, since the beginning of 2019, the NGO has focused on supporting high-value vegetable production and linkages to export markets. The project dubbed “Uhira Wunguke” (Irrigate to Win) is funded by the Netherlands based Achmea Foundation, and is operating in three eastern province districts: Kayonza, Rwamagana and Ngoma. On Thursday, 28th November 2019, EUCORD organized a one-day workshop themed “Strengthening the vegetable value chain as a market-oriented agri-business” ,where partners from Government, Financial Institutions, Off takers, Service Providers, farmers and ICCO Cooperation shared experiences with stakeholders and agree on the way forward. Fabien Ngoga, Country Representative of EUCORD in Rwanda, answering a question from one of the participants of a one-day workshop, on Thursday, 28th November 2019. Fabien Ngoga, Country Representative of EUCORD in Rwanda, says that: “The project came with an objective summarized as ‘Public-private-partnership’, which aims at promoting the agricultural sector; ensuring that farmers grow their production while having assurance of the market, which also helps processors to get cheaper, locally made inputs.” “The project also came to give value to Rwanda’s Season C of agriculture, which most of the times is dormant, when instead farmers can use water-efficient irrigation technologies and plant vegetables which bring much profit,” he added. So far successful Emille Nsengumuremyi, the Coordinator of the Uhira Wunguke project, says that: “So far the project has been successful, and farmers are joining in high numbers.” The project is currently working with 11 cooperatives, among which six have adopted water-efficient irrigation technologies and the target is to reach at least 150 ha from 19 cooperatives with 2,000 beneficiaries by 2021, he explained. “Growing green beans is more profitable, because in a season it is estimated that the profit is over Rwf one million per hectare. This is a very good return as compared to other crops.” Green beans have a growing period of 60 days, with an additional three weeks of harvesting. Praising the project, Jean Bosco Nsengimana, President of Twiteze Imbere Nyabombe Cooperative, which works from Kayonza district, Gahini sector, said that: “They first and foremost connected us to the market; people whom we sell our products to, and this helped us because it used to be a challenge for us.” Nsengimana added that: “In addition to this, they also helped us to get trainings on how to plant green beans and on how to use water-efficient irrigation technologies in agriculture.” “We also got irrigation equipment through this program and thanks to the project that helped us get into connection with financial institutions where we get loans easily for buying such equipment and other activities. “We also have an agronomist who advises the farmers and gives them guidelines on the cultivation of green beans,” he explained. According to this project’s coordinator, Nsengumuremyi, EUCORD is planning to introduce the production of green chili, which is also expected to highly benefit farmers. “We aspire to attain a sustainable agriculture through irrigation, whereby we want to also introduce drip irrigation, which is more effective in terms of water use, revenue and so on. By doing so, production will also start being exported outside the country,” Nsengumuremyi noted.
