The SAIP project, operating under the Rwanda Agricultural and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), supports irrigation activities using solar energy, with the goal of increasing agricultural productivity, securing markets for produce, and achieving food self-sufficiency.
Farmers with land ranging from one to four and a half hectares receive up to 50% support for solar-powered irrigation systems, while those with land between five and ten hectares receive up to 75% support.
Hakizimana Laurent, a vegetable farmer in Ngeruka Sector, shared that since receiving the 75% support for irrigation, he no longer uses outdated methods. “SAIP has helped me a lot by providing water that I use now. It used to be difficult because we used small motors that would often break down, forcing us to use cans to irrigate our crops,” he said. “Before, we only grew small amounts of tomatoes and cabbage. Although I can’t predict the final result yet, based on my calculations, I expect to harvest around 30 tons of cabbage and 40 tons of onions.”
Hakizimana grows cabbage, onions, peppers, guavas, and macadamia trees.
Rurangwa Raphaël, who grows chili peppers and tomatoes on 8.6 hectares in Nyamata Sector, emphasized the benefits of using this technological approach but mentioned that these initiatives should also reach his neighbors.
“Our idea is to ask SAIP to extend these benefits to other neighboring farmers because they are also facing challenges with excessive sunlight.” he said.
Mutabazi Richard, the Mayor of Bugesera District, highlighted that SAIP is making significant efforts to tackle the region’s issues with intense sunlight, which often affects Bugesera’s fertile lands.
“Bugesera is a fertile district, but it frequently experiences high temperatures. So, when this land doesn’t receive rain, even if it is fertile, nothing can be harvested from it.” He explained.
“It is for this reason that SAIP came to help us solve the problem of excessive sunlight, and now our people are benefiting from irrigation systems that assist them in their fields. This is helping them, and it is also benefiting the district as a whole.”
Today, SAIP has helped Bugesera residents irrigate a total of 81 hectares, with plans to expand. The district aims to add 300 hectares of irrigated land each year.
