IMPROVING LIVES OF SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN RWANDA
Solar irrigation solutions led by NGO Energy 4 Impact reap rewards for agricultural communities A
n OPEC Fund supported Solar Irrigation Rwanda (SIR) market
development program - completed in November 2020 - makes a compelling case for solar-powered irrigation as a means of increasing agricultural productivity and profitability in sub- Saharan Africa. Agriculture employs nearly 70 percent of the population in Rwanda and is vital to the country’s economic growth and poverty reduction strategies. However, most agricultural workers are small- scale subsistence farmers dependent on rainwater for irrigation. In 2017, only two percent used machine-powered irrigation and nearly all of that was fueled by diesel. Increasing productivity in the agriculture sector is widely
recognized as a key accelerator of socio-economic development in Rwanda and machine-powered irrigation is critical for improving yields, reducing vulnerability to droughts and changing rainfall patterns, enabling multiple cropping practices, and thereby increasing food security for the entire region. Implemented by Energy 4 Impact
between February 2018 and November 2020, the SIR program was funded by a US$1 million grant from the OPEC Fund and worked in 10 districts of Rwanda to support solar irrigation projects fed by mobile and stationary solar water pumping systems. Altogether 1,450 farmers adopted solar irrigation systems through SIR.
Walid Mehalaine, OPEC Fund Head of Grants and
Technical Assistance, welcomed the results of the program: “Farmer-led irrigation initiatives are key to effecting inclusive change and improving the lives of small-scale farmers. Achieving sustainable results also depends on creating
awareness, building capacity and adopting technologies. We are very proud of the positive impact that SIR has had on smallholder farmers in Rwanda and hope that the lessons learned in this pioneering program can spur others on to take the market to the next level.”
Peter Weston, Director of Programs at Energy 4 Impact, says: “The encouraging results from SIR show increases in uptake of solar irrigation by farmers and farmer incomes. However, many challenges remain and there is still a long way to go in terms of scaling up the market.”
Agriculture employs nearly 70%
of the population in Rwanda
26
PHOTO: Energy 4 Impact
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
