Small livestock is one of the five value chains DeSIRA project focuses on. ©FAO/Kim Kamasa

The DeSIRA project exercise covered various farming systems under the six Districts of intervention: Burera, Rutsiro, Nyagatare, Ruhango, and Bugesera. The research team conducted a field-level data collection exercise to analyze five value chains, including small livestock, cassava, agroforestry, irrigation, and dairy value chains. The team is composed of the University of Rwanda through its College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM) in collaboration with Ecole Supérieure D'agro-Développement International (ISTOM) and the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The research team kicked off this activity by conducting focused group discussions with representatives of potato and small stock value chains in the Districts of Burera and Rutsiro. From Rutsiro, the team proceeded to the Districts of Bugesera, Gatsibo, and Nyagatare to continue the exercise.

The data collection exercise was done through focus group discussions with representatives of different actors of the target value chains and key informants at the district level. The discussion revolved around four thematic areas: drivers of cost of production in respective value chains, access to markets, climate change adaptation, and identification of key stakeholders involved in each value chain. 

While in Burera District, the research team met with representatives from the potato value chain who appreciated the support they received from FAO and other project-implementing partners.

Mr. Serushago Donatien, who grows Irish potato on ten hectares of land, appreciated FAO and partner institutions' support in the DeSIRA project but also requested specific support to make farming more profitable.

"We want to address the challenge of storing our produce, especially during harvest season. When we get high produce during the harvest season, we are forced to sell the products immediately because we have nowhere to store them. Buyers deliberately offer low prices since they know that our potatoes will be dumped if we don't sell at their preferred price. Our request to the development partners is to help us to build storage facilities that we can use to conserve our produce during the harvest season," he added.

Dusabimana Alex, a rice farmer in the Rwangingo swamp, said that farmers are happy with the support they get from project implementing partners but asked for a critical reflection on the issue of prices, which do not reflect the investment cost farmers invest up to the harvesting phase.

Moutaz Alhamada, a researcher from Ecole Supérieure D'agro-Développement International (ISTOM), commended the work done by the DeSIRA project team thus far, noting that significant progress has been made, especially in the dairy sector.

"During the mission to Rwanda, we visited Nyagatare and Burera districts, where we analyzed the diary value chain. We met many actors involved in the milk production and industry sector. We had an open and constructive discussion about what value the DeSIRA project adds to their business. It is clear that the project has added significant value to milk production and the industry to ensure food security and a balanced diet with the consumers." Moutaz said.

Speaking to the DeSIRA communications team about his impression of this exercise, Professor Alfred Bizoza, the lead researcher, expressed his optimism on how DeSIRA is expected to bring about the desired change in the selected value chains.

"The first insights from our consultations show the need for effective innovation partnerships to address biophysical and institutional challenges hindering the performance of target value chains. We are now in the process of data analysis and report writing to inform on the baseline conditions of the project to be shared with project partners that we hope will inform decisions that will bridge the identified gaps." Mr. Bizoza noted.

Research is an essential pillar of the DeSIRA, a four-year European Union-funded project. The research component is used to fast-track Rwanda's economic transformation. DeSIRA Project is aligned with Rwanda's National Strategy for Transformation (NST-1).