Boosting Rwanda’s horticulture output with Dutch supported project HortInvest
Together with our partners, we officially launched the HortInvest project in Rwanda. The project will professionalize the horticulture sector, improve food security, aims to benefit more than 44,000 farmers from six districts in Rwanda and boost the turnover of 30 horticulture SMEs.
HortInvest follows the IDH Value Chain Development approach, a new offer supporting the agriculture value chain development in the African continent. The project is closely aligned with Rwanda’s National Horticultural Policy, and is financed by the Embassy of the Netherlands through the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ton Negenman is First Embassy Secretary Economic Affairs, Food Security, Private Sector Development at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Rwanda. He mentioned the importance of the project for the Embassy. “There are many opportunities for both Rwanda as for the Netherlands. It brings export and innovation to Rwanda, and the Netherlands a high-quality product. Not to mention that it fits well within the Dutch food security program, with a focus on nutrition.
“The linked fund that is set up by IDH is also very important. This is helping to develop and professionalize the SMEs in Rwanda. IDH in particular has an important role in professionalizing those smaller companies.”
Implementing partner SNV advisor Klaas de Vries added: “We have a strong consortium that allows for suitable cooperation in Rwanda, particularly with the farmers, cooperatives, agribusinesses, and the Rwandan government to support horticulture sector development in Rwanda. Farmers will be supported to access different markets: domestically, regionally, and longer distance export. While not all farmers that benefit from the project will be able to access international markets yet, the combination of expertise of the project partners makes that we can develop the capacity of farmers and cooperatives who can aspire to access international fruit and vegetable markets in the future through Rwandan export companies. At the same time, we work with the Rwandan government to improve the enabling environment for the development of the supply chains toward different markets.”
