Rwanda – Post-Harvest Handling and Storage (PHHS)

Post-Harvest Solutions Increase Profits

In Rwanda, ACDI/VOCA works with Carana Corporation to enhance post-harvest options for local farmers.

The Rwanda Post Harvest Handling and Storage (PHHS) program aims to mobilize private sector resources to address post-harvest inefficiencies for targeted staple crops. The program stimulates investment, construction and management of post-harvest equipment or warehousing through targeted alliances with the private sector. The 2.5 year initiative began in September 2009. ACDI/VOCA implements the project as a subcontractor to Carana Corporation.

Goals Focus on Post-Harvest Improvements

The PHHS approach includes four components:

• Market linkages
• Investment finance
• Post-harvest management
• Post-harvest policy strategy

These components work together to reduce post-harvest losses, create additional storage, connect additional farmers to storage facilities, direct private sector funds into post-harvest projects and increase the weight and value of commodities entering USAID-supported storage.

Ultimately, the PHHS program aims to accomplish the following:

• Reduce post harvest losses of selected staple crops in targeted areas
• Increase in the number of storage facilities constructed/purchased in the country
• Increase in the number of Rwandan farmers using storage facilities
• Facilitate the flow of private sector funds into post-harvest infrastructure projects
• Encourage and ensure that a higher percentage of staple commodities be stored in improved storage facilities.

Program Builds toward Short- and Long-Term Change

The PHHS program facilitates both short-term beneficial alliances between market actors and long-term institutional change within the staple crops agricultural sector in Rwanda. PHHS works with the private sector to identify and develop strategic partnerships, new investment strategies and business ventures in post-harvest handling and storage. The program also provides training and extension services that lead to better practices for farmers seeking higher prices for better quality commodities. The project’s post-harvest policy strategy will provide recommendations to the Government of Rwanda with evidence-based examples from the PHHS project that will serve to guide policy decisions. By working with both the private and public sectors, PHHS is able to encourage sustainable change and best practices with all stakeholders in Rwandan staple crops.

Post-Harvest Service Providers Benefit from Grants

The PHHS program also works closely with the Market Linkages Initiative (MLI) based in Nairobi, Kenya. MLI is a regional grants program, also implemented by ACDI/VOCA and Carana, geared toward improving post-harvest handling and storage in East Africa. MLI grants require leveraging private sector funds as part of the grant agreements. The PHHS program works with MLI to identify potential grantees, works with grantees and other private sector partners to leverage funds, then continues to work with grantees to facilitate training and extension services.

Alliance Demonstrates Results

The PHHS project’s first successful grant and partnership was the formation of the ENAS alliance. The alliance is largely private-sector driven; ENAS contributed 80 percent of its own funds, including a bank loan, and MLI contributed the final 20 percent in the form of a grant. PHHS facilitated the grant process and continues to work with ENAS for implementation.

The alliance will create the Kirehe District Grain Bulking Center and link village aggregation centers to large scale warehouses and regional markets. The ENAS alliance will improve post-harvest techniques and provide a larger storage facility for the Kirehe District.

Increased access to storage close to the village aggregation centers will provide more opportunities for producers to store their crop in good conditions. They will also be able to be more discerning about their sales because they do not have to sell their crop immediately.

The alliance will give ENAS access to more potential sellers in the region, and it will allow ENAS the ability to operate on a larger scale outside of its home offices in Kigali.

Background

Agriculture drives the Rwandan economy and accounts for 80 percent of employment, 39 percent of GDP, and 63 percent of foreign exchange earnings. While the agricultural sector has seen rapid growth in the past few years with large increases in production achieved by small-holder farmers, post -harvest losses, gaps in market linkages and lack of access to storage are still major challenges to the agricultural sector in Rwanda.

For more information, contact Katy Murphy-Lubowicz at kmurphy-lubowicz@acdivoca.org.

Updated: 10/10

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