When Rwanda launched the fourth generation of the Agriculture Transformation Strategy in June 2018, there was optimism in the air with many people seeing the blueprint as the final piece of the jigsaw that would substantially boost farm productivity, add value to produce and improve value chain across the sector. The six-year Rwf2.7 trillion-blueprint was touted as a major driver for creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, especially in primary agriculture and food business and as a vehicle to lift millions out of poverty. The strategy was also seen as a tool that would help the government deliver the 2017-2024 National Strategy for Transformation, but also meet its commitments under continental frameworks for agriculture development. In particular, Rwanda and other African countries committed to implementing strategies and goals under two key frameworks; the 2015 Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods – both of which seek to promote agriculture-led growth and enable countries to end poverty and hunger by 2025. As well as the two continental instruments, the 2018-2024 national Agriculture Transformation Strategy aims at protecting and building resilience of smallholder farmers (who are highly vulnerable to climate change), enhancing inclusion across the value chain, increasing public spending and mobilising private investments, boosting productivity, creating jobs, among others. However, nearly halfway through the implementation of the national plan for agriculture transformation, it has emerged that the country is not on-track to meet its commitments under the framework. For instance, the assessment by Minecofin found that the country was lagging in almost all the goals, including crop productivity, funding, irrigation, value chain, among others. The situation has admittedly been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic (although the sector is generally believed not to be among the worst hit), but it is hard to entirely blame the virus for the unmet targets. In fact, according to an official at the Private Sector Federation, some of the targets increasingly look unrealistic, especially considering that access to funding remains a thorn in the flesh for many smallholders and other investors across the value chain. In light of this, it is important that responsible institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Minecofin as well as other public bodies and private players take stock of the progress, of lack of thereof, in the implementation of the six-year agriculture blueprint with view to urgently fix the challenges that undermine the plan and getting it back on track. Increasing public expenditure and devising mechanisms to ease access to funding by farmers and other players along the value chain will not only go a long way in transforming the sector and ensuring food security, but it is also imperative for Rwanda’s medium and long-term development goals.
