Through the Rwanda Multi-Value Chain and Enterprise Development Programme funded by World Vision Rwanda, Farm Concern International (FCI) conducted an assessment of existing Farmer Organizations with a view of understanding their location; membership; management and governance structures; aims and goals as well as the ability to contribute and benefit from their chosen value chains. Additionally, the assessment aimed at identifying existing gaps, challenges and making recommendations on the way forward.

This assessment covered farmer groups in the three ADPs of Nyaruguru, Mudasomwa and Nyamagabe with the involvement of 17 Farmer groups and cooperatives in this assessment.

The most accessed service mentioned by respondents was warehousing (100%) while the least service among all respondents interviewed was access to formal markets at 0%. According to the findings, 58.8% of all respondents in the groups interviewed accessed credit and banking services, 35.3% accessed financial literacy training, while 23.5% accessed bulking and commodity aggregation centres. 

 

The least accessed services were market information services, formal sector market linkages, technical and business training as well as local pack house all at 5.9%. (Figure 1). 

Based on these results, farmer organizations will be used as foundation for development of the commercialization process. These farmer organizations were found to be lacking fundamental structures that would enable them to evolve into viable commercial entities. The project will therefore involve re-organization of existing groups to focus on production and marketing through adoption of village-based production systems. The groups will also be trained and equipped on commercialization skills in order to develop a commercial mind-set. There will be emphasis on market-driven agriculture and production, as well as market linkages. 

The Rwanda Multi-Value Chain and Enterprise Development Programme targets to improve the livelihoods of participating farmers by 150%. The Programme is an intervention under INZOZI NZIZA project a tripartite partnership between World Vision Rwanda, Farm Concern International and Vision Finance Company Limited working closely with relevant government ministries to introduce innovations among smallholder farmers in Southern Rwanda specifically in Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe and Mudasomwa ADPs. The intervention seeks to create enterprising solutions that trigger innovations within the smallholder farming communities. 

The project will facilitate at least 6,000 smallholder farmers with modern agricultural production techniques, market access and value chains development through strategic partnerships. The value chains of consideration in the mentioned project sites include irish potatoes, dairy products, cereals, Traditional African Vegetables (TAVs), exotic market vegetables with an emphasis on red bulb onions among others.