Find Agriculture expertise in Rwanda
- Industry
- Development
Industry
Rwanda’s agriculture industry employs almost 90% of the country’s working population, accounts for over 81% of land use (2009) and is the most significant contributor to the country’s GDP at 34.2% (2010). The sector also generates around 70% of export revenues and 90% of the national food requirements (2008). Main produce include sweet potatoes, cassava, potatoes, dry beans, corn, sugarcane and sorghum. Coffee contributes significantly to the economy, and coffee and tea exports combined contribute the most towards the country’s export earnings. Rwanda’s principal export partners are Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, China, Swaziland, US and Pakistan. Bananas are one of the major commodities in Rwanda’s agricultural sub-sector, and are used as cash and food crops. Smaller exports include quinine and pyrethrum. The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) is responsible for the development of programmes that will transform and modernise the agriculture and livestock trade to ensure that food security and positive contributions to the national economy take place.
Development
The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report (2012-2013) ranks Rwanda 2nd out of 144 countries in terms of agricultural policy costs with a score of 5.5 out of 7, above the world average. Rwanda was the first country to sign a Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Compact. CAADP is an African government-led initiative to reduce hunger and reduce poverty through agriculture. To protect the sector from the effects of climate change, Rwanda’s National Strategy for Climate Change and Low Carbon Development has recommended various action plans for the agricultural sector, which include terracing and irrigation and expanding crop varieties for increased resilience in the face of climate change and diversifying into niche export crops which are certified under fair-trade and organic branding. Other ministry aims are increased sustainability, diversification of employment and income sources for rural populations, along with intensification and diversification of plant, animal and fish production.
| Agriculture organisations in Rwanda | |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) |
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