Inside Rwanda’s Major Agric Initiatives Seeking Rwf20tn in Financing

**Rwanda Pitches $20 trillion‑worth of Agricultural Projects at Africa Food Systems Summit**

*September 1–4, 2026 – Kigali, Rwanda* – During the Africa Food Systems Summit, Rwanda presented a portfolio of agricultural initiatives that together require an estimated Rwandan franc (Rwf) 20 trillion in financing. The projects are slated for implementation from the present through 2030 and 2050.

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### 1. Climate‑Smart Agriculture Investment Plan
Prepared in partnership with the International Finance Corporation, the plan identifies a private‑investment potential of US$335.4 million (≈ Rwf 493.8 billion) by 2030. Agriculture Minister Telesphore Ndabamenya said the programme will link 170,200 farmers and 375 companies to climate‑smart finance and increase the productivity and resilience of 83,250 hectares of farmland.

### 2. Rwanda Sustainable Landscape Management Investment Framework
The framework, approved by the government, is worth US$9.2 billion (≈ Rwf 13.54 trillion) through 2050. The first phase, covering 2030, accounts for US$2.3 billion, with US$2.2 billion earmarked for soil‑erosion control. Minister Ndabamenya highlighted that Rwanda has already invested in physical landscape protection, constructing 142,318 hectares of terraces and bringing 71,585 hectares under irrigation. He described land‑degradation costs as an ongoing expense that must be addressed now to recover lost output.

### 3. Fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation
The plan will cost Rwf 6.4 trillion through 2029, with an estimated 43.7 percent of the funding expected to come from the private sector.

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## Calls for Innovative Financing

At a side event titled “Deals & Financing: Scaling Agri‑food Investments: From Blended Finance to Breakthrough Deals,” Everlyn Musyoka, Head of Value Proposition, Smallholder Farmers, Africa, at Bayer, urged the use of blended finance and partnerships to unlock sustainable growth in food systems. Musyoka emphasized that investment is most effective when combined with innovation, technical support, and infrastructure that help farmers improve productivity and resilience. She added that transparency, measurable impact, and accountability are essential for attracting both public trust and private capital.

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## Livestock Sector Needs More Investment

Several livestock experts highlighted the need for greater investment in Africa’s livestock sector:

* **Shirley Tarawali**, Emeritus Fellow at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), noted that a dairy cow producing about two litres of milk per day could potentially yield 15–20 litres through improved feed, animal health, genetics, and management.
* **Getachew Diriba**, Senior Adviser at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture, called for increased access to climate finance to help African farmers and pastoralists adapt to climate change and improve livestock productivity while reducing environmental impact.
* **Huyam Ahmed Mohammed Elamin Salih**, Director of the African Union Inter‑African Bureau for Animal Resources, warned that weak investment and underdeveloped value chains are undermining Africa’s livestock potential, despite the continent’s large share of the world’s livestock.

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## Smallholder Finance Challenges

Ugandan agripreneur and community leader **Jane Frances Acilo**, founder of Abja Farms Ltd and the Jane Acilo Foundation, stressed that finance for smallholder farmers remains a major hurdle. “The biggest challenge that smallholder farmers face is access to finance,” Acilo said. She added that traditional banking models do not favor smallholder and subsistence farmers in Africa.

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The summit’s discussions underscore Rwanda’s ambition to secure substantial financing for its agricultural transformation while highlighting broader regional challenges and opportunities in food‑security and livestock development.

Article source: allafrica.com | Image credit: x.com