From October 23rd to 25th, 2024, the annual Cassava Week was held at Lucerna Hotel in Muhanga District. The event, themed “Leveraging Available Opportunities to Enhance the Cassava Value Chain’s Contribution to Sustainable Food Systems,” was organized by Ingabo Farmers’ Syndicate and its partners.
The event brought together various partners, including the East African Farmers’ Federation (EAFF), IITA, MEDA, AGRITERRA, Centre d’Etudes et de Cooperation Internationale (CECI) for Farmer Cooperatives, and several government institutions such as the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). Financial institutions and the Private Sector Federation were also represented.
In his welcome speech, the Chief Executive Officer of Ingabo Farmers’ Syndicate, Mr. François Xavier Mbabazi, expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to organizing the event. He thanked the Government of Rwanda for its development strategies, particularly in the agricultural sector. Mr. Mbabazi also acknowledged the support of financial institutions like Clecam Ejo Heza and CPF-INZEA, which have provided loans to cassava farmers, reducing the interest rate from 24% to 18% with easier payment terms. He emphasized that these partnerships aim to find lasting solutions to the financial challenges faced by cassava cooperatives.
The Vice Chairperson of Ingabo Farmers’ Syndicate, Mr. Jean Pierre Habimana, also thanked the participants and recognized the significant role of the East African Farmers’ Federation and other stakeholders in boosting production. He appreciated the collaboration between the syndicate and financial institutions, particularly Duterimbere IMF Ltd, for their support in increasing production and economic empowerment of farmers.
Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye, the Director General of RAB, called on farmers to adopt new farming technologies, innovative solutions, and climate-smart agriculture to increase production. He assured that RAB will continue to support farmers in accessing improved seeds and encouraged them to engage with financial institutions to empower their businesses and expand their markets locally and internationally. Dr. Ndabamenye also urged farmers who received training from Ingabo Farmers’ Syndicate to share their knowledge with their communities to improve production.