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The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), in partnership with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), held a two-day First Annual Review and Planning Meeting of the Rwanda Agri-Biotech Programme to reflect on the programme’s first-year achievements and plan for the next phase. The meeting brought together key stakeholders to assess progress and strategize on advancing agricultural productivity and resilience through biotechnology in Rwanda. Huye, Rwanda, October 17, 2025.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Solange Uwituze, Acting Director General of RAB, said the programme aims, by 2029, to secure the regulatory approval, variety release, and commercialization of improved cassava, potato, and maize varieties. She noted that achieving this milestone would represent a major step toward developing resilient and climate-smart agriculture in Rwanda.
Launched in October 2024 and running through October 2029, the Rwanda Agri-Biotech Programme seeks to enhance the productivity and resilience of cassava, maize, and potato—three staple crops that are vital to the country’s food security and the livelihoods of farming families. The programme focuses on developing high-yielding, pest- and disease-resistant varieties capable of withstanding major challenges such as cassava brown streak disease, potato late blight, and insect pests including stem borers and fall armyworm.
Funded by Gates Foundation and Gates Philanthropic Partners, the programme brings together a consortium of international and national partners coordinated by AATF and RAB. Key partners include the International Potato Center (CIP), Michigan State University (MSU), Bayer Company, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (DDPSC) in the USA. Each partner contributes specialized expertise in the development of improved crop varieties using modern biotechnology tools.
During the review meeting, participants discussed the achievements from the programme’s first year of implementation, highlighting progress made in regulatory approvals, confined field trials, and capacity building. They also outlined plans for the next phase, focusing on field evaluations, seed system development, and enhanced stakeholder engagement.
One of the major achievements of the first year was the environmental release approval granted by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) on September 3, 2025. This followed rigorous scientific assessments and biosafety evaluations conducted in line with national and international standards.
Currently, late blight-resistant potato is under confined field trials in Musanze to generate additional local data in preparation for environmental introduction. Two additional potato trials are planned at RAB Nyamagabe and RAB Rwerere. Cassava trials have previously been conducted in Rubona and Bugesera, with another site under establishment at Rubona. Likewise, two maize confined field trial (CFT) sites are under development at RAB Nyagatare and RAB Rubona.
The next phase of the Rwanda Agri-Biotech Programme will prioritize conducting national performance trials to confirm the adaptability of the improved crops across different agro-ecological zones. It will also focus on developing seed systems to ensure timely and widespread availability of improved varieties and engaging farmers and stakeholders to promote informed adoption and raise public awareness. Furthermore, the programme will continue to strengthen collaboration with regulators to ensure biosafety, transparency, and public confidence in the use of biotechnology.
Through these coordinated efforts, the Rwanda Agri-Biotech Programme is expected to play a transformative role in advancing Rwanda’s biotechnology capacity, improving food security, and boosting the resilience and productivity of smallholder farmers in the face of climate change.
