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Ministry of Agriculture And AniMAl resources

MinAgri Weekly flash news08 March 2013

Published by the Center for Agricultural Information and Communication (CICA)

The Abdul-Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab is a research center in the Economics Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a global network of researchers who work to answer critical policy questions for the fight against poverty. Their mission is to reduce poverty by ensuring policy based on scientific evidence and that research is translated into action.

Their efforts is largely based on impact evaluations, policy outreach, and capacity building within regional offices in Africa, Europe, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. They work within various sectors including agriculture, education, environment and energy, finance, health, labor markets, and political economy and governance.

On March 7th, 2013, Research Manager Emmanuel Bakirdjian, Policy Manager Mary Ann Bates, and Policy Associate Anna Yalouris from the Poverty Action Lab came to the Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources for the first time to discuss the possibility of close collaboration with policy makers within the agriculture sector. They hope to hold a 2-day conference in which PAL will start a dialogue between Rwanda agricultural policy experts and PAL affiliated professors and researchers to reach a broad consensus of the best way forward is for Rwandan policy supporting poverty reduction.

The aim of this symposium is to consider how to

maximize the effectiveness of

policies and programs in Rwanda by drawing on lessons from hundreds of randomized trials already conducted in many developing countries, including Rwanda. Their intentions are to lead sectoral working sessions within the agricultural, education, and health sectors, with Professor Tavneet Suri of MIT leading the session in agriculture.

These sessions would be attended by Government top leaders and together, would find a common vision for integrating decision science into Rwandan national development plans.

PAL expressed that they hoped to focus on increasing yield and productivity, improving fertilizer accessibility, and creating cost-

effective policies for the agriculture sector. Poverty Action Lab utilizes past experiences from successful results poverty reduction in other countries to assist other chosen countries in achieving the same ends.

Hon. Minister Agnes Kalibata emphasized the importance for the PAL to focus not only on issues that can be applied across countries due to similarity in situational contexts, but on problems that are specific to Rwanda in the hopes that they can truly optimize Poverty Action Lab’s expertise and experiences.

Minister Kalibata welcomes any collaboration from organizations such as Poverty Action Lab in the hopes of accelerating the reduction of poverty within Rwanda.

Michelle Lee

Poverty Action LAb visits the Ministry of AgricuLture & AniMAL resources for PossibLe coLLAborAtion

Minister Posing for a picture with the visitors

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Last year during the 2012 April 1994 Genocide Commemoration, the Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources visited genocide survivors residing within the Gahanga Sector, Kicukiro District. The Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources had promised to assist survivors in case of Girinka Program. To do this, they presented to the district with 20 female cows on March 6th, 2013.

Those cows were contributed by MINAGRI staff and its affiliated agencies to assist genocide survivors as Rwanda is going to start the commemoration period for the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi under the national theme: “Let us commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsi as we strive for self reliance”It was a joyous event for the people of Gahanga Sector, Kicukiro District as the lorry full of 20 female cows arrived to the presentation site. MINAGRI also provided the genocide survivors of April 1994 with useful materials such as vetinary antibiotics (that can be used for a variety of animals including cows), salt licks to help fulfill the cows’ need for nutrients such as salt, and pesticide pumps and sprays for the people to use on their crops.

The Mayor of Kicukiro District, Paul Jules NDAMAGE, thanked His Excellency for the Girinka Program. Because of their dependency on agriculture and livestock within the rural areas in which they live in, the Mayor emphasized his thanks for the 20 cows that were donated to the people.

Mayor Paul NDAMAGE also gave many thanks to Hon. Minister Agnes Kalibata for coming close

MinAgri donAtes 20 cows to APriL 1994 genocide survivors

to the weeks of the Genocide Commemoration, to support the genocide survivors during their time of pain. He invited the Minister to visit the agricultural activities within their area, and witness the best agricultural practices that have been ongoing. One of these activities includes the use of land consolidation, an important agricultural practice for a small country such as Rwanda.

April 1994 Genocide Survivor MUKABARUTA Hélène also spoke at this honorary event. She thanked Minister Kalibata for supporting the district. She remembered when the Ministry had visited her in 2012, as she was sadly in the process of burying many of her relatives, and the Ministry had been there to support her. She assured Minister Kalibata that the cows would be in good hands and care.

Minister Kalibata gave many thanks to the MINAGRI staff for facilitating the capability to donate 20 cows.

“We know that the April 1994 Genocide of Rwanda has shattered many community livelihoods and left broken lives. That is why we, as MINAGRI staff, have come to support you [genocide survivors] in your time of need,” Minister Kalibata stated. “It is our commitment to help genocide survivors every year; not just in Gahanga Sector, but as many people in as many areas as possible.”

“I urge you to look towards the future and make it bright. Take good care of the cows so that you can optimize the future of the people here,” Minister Kalibata concluded.

Michelle Lee&

Newton Rwakabuba

A Genocide survivor happy for the cow she recieved

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Last week, from February 25th to March 1st, 2013, a Rwandan delegation attended the CAADP’s Nutrition Capacity Development Workshop for East, Central, and Southern Africa in Dar es Salaam. The delegation included three people of MINAGRI staff: Nutritionist, Otto-Vianney Muhinda, Nutritionist Marina Adrianopoli, and SAKSS Coordinator Claude Bizimana.

CAADP, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme is an organization that aims to reach a higher path of economic growth through agriculture-led development and works to eliminate poverty and food insecurity in Africa.

While many CAADP National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans (NAFSIPs) include nutritional goals, most are lacking the concrete actions needed to facilitate nutrition security through improved agricultural practices. NEPAD has therefore launched an initiative to strengthen capacity for addressing nutrition through the formulation

MinAgri stAff Attends cAAdP WorkshoP in dAr es sAlAAM

and implementation of NAFSIPs. Regional workshops, the core of this strategy, coordinates country teams of professionals from various sectors including agriculture, health, finance, private sector, and civil society to develop roadmaps for maximizing the nutritional impact of agriculture investment plans.

In November 2011, the first of these workshops was held in Senegal, that brought together 180 participants from 17 West African countries, as well as development partners at the regional and global levels. Every workshop is an opportunity for participants to increase the level of mutual understanding of each sector as well as agriculture’s role in improving nutrition, and to agree on future steps for actions supporting nutrition security.

This workshop was a unique occasion this year, that gathered eight delegates from Rwanda together to work intensively for five days on the linkages between nutrition and agriculture and identify effective approaches

for integrating nutrition in the CAADP framework and processes.

The objectives of the Nutrition Workshops were to identify best approaches for improving nutrition within the CAADP framework and processes, which include the formulation of country agriculture investment plans and resource mobilization. This workshop is to also increase the understanding of available tools, technical resources for mainstreaming nutrition goals in agriculture, strengthen the coordination of country-level and regional networks of development professionals, and increase understanding of policy and governance issues that must be aligned for improved food and nutrition security programming. The HIV/Aids epidemic is also considered as a cross-cutting issue, with strong connections to nutrition security.

Integrating nutrition contribution with agriculturally led development has always been a strong priority for many African countries, including Rwanda, as the agriculture sector is largely depended on by the majority of the population for sources of income, livelihood, and food. MINAGRI staff continue to attend workshops such as these to improve their constant work and efforts toward achieving food security and fighting malnutrition.

Michelle Lee

A group picture of Participants

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On March 8th, 2013, MINAGRI celebrated International Women’s Day with the rest of Rwanda. At CICA, a presentation was given to promote the importance of gender equality, with an emphasis on women empowerment.

The presentation highlighted the crucial role of gender mainstreaming within all sectors. Gender mainstreaming is paramount to all persons at all decision levels and all project levels within planning and implementation.

Key challenges include women in poverty, the persistence of cultural barriers, lack of sensitization of men’s engagement, and the insufficiency of gender disaggregated data.

However, the event presented valid ways forward as a way to look for a hopeful and progressive future. Promoting positive values and awareness among community members as well as continuing to support women and facilitating access to loans and finances continue to considered as key steps to gender equality within Rwanda.

Creating gender disaggregated data is also a crucial part in promoting gender mainstreaming within institutions.

On Women’s Day, MINAGRI strongly recognizes the role that women have had in the transformation of the agriculture sector, helping to reduce poverty and food security, as well as be role models for the formulation of successful cooperatives throughout rural Rwanda.

On International Women’s Day, one of our own MINAGRI staff,

MinAgri ceLebrAtes woMen’s dAy

Jolly Dusabe, was nominated as one of Africa’s top women achievers by the UK Guardian. Jolly Dusabe was originally a biologist in Uganda, and is now running a rural support programme in Rwanda. Her team helps farmers become more sustainable by developing new practices to combat soil erosion and make the best use of water and land.rWAndA ifAd Portfolio to

get neW cPM

Today, Wednesday 06th of March 2013, the awaited CPM met MINAGRI officials. In morning hours, the team met PS .

To understand the progress on working environment for IFAD supported projects in Rwanda working under MINAGRI, the “SINGLE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT ON LAND HUSBANDRY, WATERSHED MANAGEMENT & VALUE CHAIN” , made of PAPSTA, KWAMP and PRICE met new Country Program Manager, Mr. Fransisco Javier Pichon, a Columbian by nationality based in Rome.

He will serve in direct support

with Rwanda IFAD country office made of 3 permanent experts : Mr. Aimable NTUKANYAGWE, the country Program Officer, Christian HAKIBA RUSENGO, the Assistant Country Program Manager and Sonia NTUKANYAGWE, the Country Office Assistant. Building networks between IFAD Headquarters and IFAD supported projects in Rwanda, Mr. Fransisco will also serve as an East and Southern Africa Advisor in Rome.

The new CPM was officially appointed on February 11, 2013 . He is in Rwanda since 5th March 2013.

He was accompanied by the team that is working on Country Strategic Opportunities Paper; Lead by Madam Alberta Mascaretti with Sabrie Roble an IFAD consultant in COSOP formulation.

Viateur KARANGWA,

the SPIU KMCS

SPIU Coordinator, briefing the new CPM Kayilisa Caritas in charge of gender in Agriculture giving her presentation

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Quality seeds constitute the prime precursor of crop production, food security and general well off. However, the use of these seeds as well as other agricultural inputs remains low despite the efforts both the public and the private actors inject in the agricultural sector.

Harvest Plus, a challenge Program of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), is popularizing bio-fortified beans varieties (RWV3316, Mac 44, RWR45, RWV 129, RWV2887) in the rural farmers, starting by seed multipliers, in the line of strengthening the seed security and improved diets.

From 4th to 8th March, 2013, Harvest Plus jointed by RAB organised a series of theoretical trainings for seed multipliers from the Eastern, Southern and Northern Agricultural zone divisions who will produce beans seeds in the 2013B season, with the general bean seed production and seed certification, the National Seed Law and related Ministerial

seed MultiPliers trAined in Bio-fortified BeAn seeds Production

Orders as the main items of the curriculum.

At the end of the day, contracts were signed between seed multipliers and Harvest Plus, co-convened by the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Seed multipliers commit to multiply the seed and ensure that the crop meets the required standards to be certified as seed, and Harvest Plus to buy the total

seed production, a kilo at Rwf 400 and 500 for bush and climbing beans respectively.

Certainly, achieving a national green revolution will be possible if and only if the seed sector comprises professional and market-oriented seed multipliers.

by rurAngWA Jean-lambert/ rAB sAZd

Seed multipliers being trained

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MinAgri hosts A consultAtive Meeting on the Pig industry in rWAndA

The Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources organized a consultative meeting on the pig industry in Rwanda, chaired by Permanent Secretary Ernest RUZINDAZA on March 7th, 2013.

The objectives of the meeting were to launch a Pig Industry Sector Working Group and to brief staff on the current situation of the pig industry in the country, as well as discuss challenges and obstacles that need to be faced, solutions, promotion, investment, pig feeds issues, and the successful development of cooperatives focused on pig development and pork processing.

Attendees included large and small-scale pig farmers, development partners such as USAID, as well as other NGOs, research Institutions (NUR, ISAE, UPU, INILAC), public sector stakeholders (RAB, NAEB, District Livestock Officers), bank representatives, and insurance companies such as SONARWA.

There are major opportunities within the untapped industry of pig development in Rwanda. Pork consumption habits have increased, from an annual consumption of 527,531 tons in 2006, to 706,472 tons in 2011. with possibilities to import Boar semen and the to retain the constitution of pure nuclei. There are also private sector interests in pork processing and pig abattoirs. The meeting also went over huge opportunities to export to neighboring countries such as Burudni, Brazza, and the DRC.

Currently, there are three types of breeds of pigs in Rwanda: the Largewhite, Landrace, and Pietrain. A local breed is also available.

Unfortunately, there are some major constraints within the pig sector right now: lack of modern abattoir for pigs, a limited number of pork processors and pig breeders, and weak pig farmers organization in cooperatives. However, these constraints also represent major opportunities for private investment as stated above.

Heavy implementation measures must be taken to successful create a stable pig industry. This includes building slaughterhouses for farmers, producing culture, and providing insurance.

During the consultative meeting, all institutions and

organizations collaborated to assign recommendations and responsibilities. MINAGRI is to facilitate the mapping of the pig industry. RAB was requested to increase the number of specialized pig breeders and to drive the private sector, while pig farmers were urged to work at the cooperative level and form a National Union for pig farmers. These are only a few of the recommendations and ways forward for the pig industry.

Rwanda is working hard to create a solid foundation for the pig industry, which will no doubt contribute to the welfare of the people in Rwanda, providing even more income, livelihood, and food security for the future.

Michelle Lee &Didace Rushigajiki

Participants following the presentation on pig rearing progress