Seif Gracien Hasingizwimana/ Kigali,Rwanda,
In Huye District, 53% of female farmers have received irrigation equipment through the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP II) to boost agricultural yield and improve their livelihoods.
SAIP II is funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) through the World Bank and is implemented by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) through its Single Project Implementation Unit (RAB-SPIU). In Huye District, residents are set to gain over 20 hectares for cultivation, while an additional 50 hectares have already been supported by this project with modern farming and irrigation techniques to help farmers adapt to climate change.
Ange Sebutege, the Mayor of Huye District, stated that farmers must not rely solely on predictable weather patterns, but should instead practice irrigated agriculture to increase their yields.
“This must also be accompanied by providing farmers with capacity-building equipment, as well as training and linking them to markets so that the harvested produce can reach the market, serving as a farming approach aimed at increasing production,” he said.
Mayor Sebutege added that they appreciate the progress made so far, as the residents themselves are grateful and actively participate in initiatives aimed at sustaining these achievements to ensure food security.
“We appreciate where we have reached because the citizens themselves value this support and take ownership of it so that it remains sustainable and helps us achieve food security, which is our shared national goal,” he noted.
The Mayor explained that in partnership with SAIP II, support was first extended to cooperatives operating in marshlands for soil erosion control, preventing potential environmental damage from destroying their accomplishments. He noted that during dry seasons, when water does not reach hillside areas sufficiently, residents living near the margins of the marshlands were provided with equipment to help them irrigate and continue farming effectively while conserving the soil.
“In partnership with the SAIP II project, when there is no rain on the hillsides during the dry season, water does not reach there adequately. Now, those farmers have also been given equipment to help them irrigate so that residents near the marshland margins can farm effectively while conserving the soil. This boosts production through irrigation using the equipment provided by SAIP II, which also helps them secure storage facilities for their harvest before it is taken to market.”
SAIP II’s Contribution to Irrigation
The Mayor of Huye District noted that nearly 85% of farmers in the district own less than 0.5 hectares of land.
“Naturally, when we manage to consolidate up to 50 hectares, it becomes a way to increase production while allowing farmers to cultivate across all three farming seasons, helping us reach our goal of food security,” he said.
He added that Huye District and its partners have requested projects like SAIP II to assist smallholder farmers in gaining irrigation capacity to farm across all three seasons.
Mayor Sebutege advised cooperatives and individual farmers who received irrigation equipment to use it efficiently and maintain it properly to prevent damage.
“What I would tell farmers and partners is that opportunities do not come twice, but the ongoing activities are based on the requests they made to increase production. What we ask of them is to make good use of the equipment provided, try to maintain it, and engage in proper planning, because during the rainy season, we often say there is too much water that sometimes damages our work.”
To find solutions, the Mayor stated that farmers must dig dams to harvest water so that the provided equipment can serve its intended purpose.
“Especially when citizens rely solely on water from marshlands or rivers, during severe droughts, we know some rivers can dry up in various areas. Therefore, farmers are urged to base their planning on seasonal weather patterns to prepare adequately, enabling them to maximize yields from the support they received.”
Mayor Sebutege also mentioned that fossil fuel reliance remains a challenge for farmers, but expressed satisfaction that solar-powered equipment is being distributed.
“Together with SAIP II, fossil-fuel-powered tools remain a challenge for many farmers, but we appreciate that they are increasingly receiving solar-powered equipment. We trust they can make good use of them without facing major obstacles, and working in groups will help them collaborate in unity.”
Women and Youth in SAIP II Activities
In Huye District, the majority of people engaged in agriculture are women. In the Ruhashya Cooperative, women make up 53%, meaning that the equipment provided reaches everyone and helps them develop themselves. Women also collaborate with youth so that young people are not left behind.
Mayor Ange Sebutege stated that many training sessions are provided by SAIP II to build farmers’ capacity, with youth also participating in these sessions.
“Many training sessions provided by SAIP II to build farmers’ capacity include the youth, as fruit tree nurseries were established and given to farmers. We collaborate with those cooperatives to prepare these nurseries through young people so they can join the agricultural sector, as it is a profession that can develop them when done well and given adequate time.”
SAIP II Boosted Production for the Terimbere Cooperative
Mazimpaka Saveri, President of the Terimbere Cooperative operating in the Rwabushakira marshland in Huye District and responsible for water sourcing, shared that they began farming in 2003 on an individual basis. In 2006, people started grouping together, forming a 20-member group. Later, the group sought legal status to become a cooperative, which was officially approved in 2012. Other groups saw how the cooperative helped members develop and chose to follow suit.
“When they saw their peers making progress by paying for health insurance (Mituelle de Santé), buying livestock, and paying school fees for their children, it became necessary for all remaining farmers to request joining the cooperative,” he said.
He added that over the past four years since uniting, the cooperative has achieved a lot, including being provided with goats and hoes for farm work.
“In the past 4 years since we united, the cooperative has brought us many benefits, including purchasing goats for us. Out of our 56 members, everyone was given a hoe, and we no longer have issues.”
Mazimpaka noted that before SAIP arrived, they lived in difficult conditions, farming maize using traditional methods and basins because they lacked the means to buy machines.
“We used to farm maize using traditional irrigation methods with basins because we couldn’t afford these machines. But SAIP helped connect us with RAB, providing us with equipment worth 1,250,000 Frw.”
He stated that yield increased compared to when they used basins. Previously, they harvested between 5 and 6 tons, but they now harvest 16 tons across 7 hectares.
“The machines provided by SAIP help us irrigate 4 hectares where water is scarce depending on the season.”
SAIP II in Irrigation Activities
SAIP II is a project aimed at increasing agricultural production, securing markets, and ensuring food security.
SAIP I was the First Phase of the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project, operating across 9 districts, while SAIP II operates across 20 districts and is set to conclude in December 2026.
Key activities prioritized by this project that have benefited farmers include providing Small Scale Irrigation Technology equipment, enabling them to farm across all seasons, thereby increasing yield, improving household livelihoods, and supplying surplus to markets.
SAIP has also supported farmers by providing small-scale irrigation equipment covering areas ranging from 0.5 hectares up to 10 hectares. This includes solar-powered irrigation systems and diesel pumps.
SAIP I assisted farmers in irrigating over 1,367 hectares, while SAIP II has so far irrigated 1,200 hectares against a target of 1,000 hectares. A total of 3,369 individuals have been supported by both SAIP I and SAIP II, including 1,916 men and 1,453 women.
SAIP II operates in twenty districts: Huye, Nyagatare, Kirehe, Gatsibo, Bugesera, Kayonza, Ngoma, Rwamagana, Rusizi, Karongi, Nyabihu, Kamonyi, Muhanga, Nyanza, Gisagara, Nyamagabe, Rulindo, Ngororero, Ruhango, and Rutsiro.
