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By Annonciata Byukusenge
Vegetable and fruit farmers say they had almost given up on farming and were even considering abandoning it. However, since they started using small-scale irrigation systems, they have renewed their commitment to farming.
Nteziryimana Vedaste is a pineapple and passion fruit farmer. He practices this farming in Musange Sector, Masizi Cell, Nyamagabe District.
He explains that before receiving irrigation equipment, he used to rent 2.5 hectares of farmland because his own land was too small.
He said, “I first worked as a farmer promoter, which helped me gain knowledge in agriculture. That experience gave me the idea of starting a fruit farming project. Since I only had a small piece of land, I began by renting more.”
However, he adds that the harvest he obtained barely covered the land rent because irrigation was very costly.
“It was expensive to pump water uphill to the farm. The distance was about 3 kilometers, and each jerrycan of water cost me 200 Rwandan francs. During the dry season, when the sun was scorching, I had no other option.”
In 2023, Nteziryimana received information that the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project ( SAIP) would support farmers with irrigation equipment on a small scale.
“I submitted my project proposal and was lucky to be selected among those who received irrigation equipment. Once I got the equipment, I started saving the money I previously spent on fetching water during the dry season.”
Within a year, he had saved enough to purchase the land he used to rent, and even bought more.
“Thanks to the irrigation system, I started to see profits. I bought 3 hectares of land with the money earned from farming. I continued growing pineapples and added passion fruits and avocados.”
He says that while on the 2.5 hectares of rented land, he used to harvest about one ton of pineapples, now on his own 3 hectares, he harvests about four tons. His entire project is valued at 8 million Rwandan francs, with 4 million as his own contribution. He has planted about 95,500 pineapple plants, of which 65,000 are productive.
Not only has he acquired land, but he has also managed to build a house worth 20 million Rwandan francs.
He shares this testimony with his fellow farmer in Bugesera District, Rurangwa Raphael, who grows avocados and chili peppers.
Rurangwa says that before accessing irrigation systems, he used to incur heavy losses due to drought.
“In 2021–2022, I grew tomatoes on 0.5 hectares, but since I had no irrigation system, I stopped growing them because of the heat. I switched to chili, but still had no irrigation. It was expensive because we had to spend a lot of money on diesel for pumping water.”
He explains that they used to consume about 5 liters of diesel per day, which over 30 days of a month meant very high costs, especially with fluctuating fuel prices.
In June 2024, SAIP provided him with irrigation equipment, including solar panels and pipes that deliver water to the farm.
“I now irrigate 6.3 hectares, and I expect a very good harvest. Previously, I harvested between 6 and 8 tons per hectare, but now I expect between 12 and 13 tons per hectare.”
In an interview with Forefront Magazine, Bugesera District Mayor Richard Mutabazi said the district aims to irrigate 1,700 hectares by 2029.
“Each year, we set ourselves a target of 300 hectares to be irrigated so that by 2029, we achieve our goal. Currently, we are irrigating 81 hectares.”
According to the project coordinator, Mutabaruka Ezra, in 2024, SAIP had set a target of bringing small-scale irrigation to 1,200 hectares. That goal was surpassed, with 1,367 hectares irrigated by the end of the year, in the intervention of the district.
SAIP II also began with a target of 1,000 hectares but has already reached 1,078.5 hectares. More than 3,360 farmers have benefited from the project, 1,916 men and 1,453 women.
SAIP I (2018–2023, extended) and SAIP II (2024–2026) are funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) through the World Bank and implemented by the Rwanda Agricultural and Animal Resources Board (RAB).
