Kigali, April 04, 2019: As provided for by the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003 revised in 2015 in its article 133, Prime Minister Dr. Ngirente Edouard, presented to the Rwandan Parliament, both Chambers, Government of Rwanda’s actions related to agriculture inputs. 

In his presentation, Prime Minister Dr. Ngirente Edouard began by highlighting the importance of the agriculture sector as the greatest contributor to the employment  especially for the youth. 

Prime Minister also noted that in a bid to address the issue of importing costly seeds, the Government embarked on a seed multiplication program. 

The Premier indicated that the Government of Rwanda, through the subsidy program known as Nkunganire, delivered about 8,875 tons of seeds to farmers. The budget meant for this activity grew from RWF 4 billion in 2018-2019 to more than RWF 11 billion in 2021-2022. 

He mentioned the significant role played by the Crop Intensification Program (CIP) in raising awareness about the importance of using fertilizers. As a result, by 2021, the quantity of fertilizers applied per hectare reached 60 kilograms, up from 32 kilograms in 2017, an increase of 87.5%. 

Prime Minister recalled that prices of fertilizers have risen sharply at the International market due to various factors, including the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has disrupted international trade and logistics, export ban from many fertilizer-producing countries as well as the increase in gas prices. 

The Premier further explained to the parliamentarians, the strategies adopted by the Government of Rwanda in subsidizing fertilizers and other agricultural inputs to support Rwandan farmers. 

Click here to read the full presentation of the Prime Minister.