Sixteen young professionals fresh from university or from seed companies in Rwanda have graduated from the RICA Seed Centre which is located at Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA), which trains them in partnership with One Acre Fund, supported by Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
This one year progam, second intake trained the candidates in Seed Technology and Business Course. Taking place at Kigali Serena Hotel, the event was marked by messages of gratitude to all partners who made it possible, and to trainers and the trainees who gave their level best to make this second cohort a success.
The RICA Seed Center Director Dr. Joseph Moughan said that the program has already become “both a symbol and a driving force behind Rwanda’s growing seed sector” because, since its foundation three years ago, it is meeting the clear mission of strengthening people, companies and institutions that form the foundation of Rwanda’s seed sector.
“It brings together science, business, and the public sector in close collaboration to build the systems that will feed the nation for generations,” Moughan said.
He was thankful that looking at the results, seventy per cent of the pioneer cohort remained in the seed sector, while another thirty per cent are contributing to seed related fields. Already some graduates are operating own seed companies.
In other achievements, the center is already serving over 30 seed companies, and has supported over 2000 farmers in accessing quality seed potatoes.
“We have already launched our parent seed production service, marking another milestone in advancing Rwanda’s seed sector,” he further said.
And addressing the graduates, he said: “We are equally confident in this graduating class and the success you will go on to achieve in the seed industry and beyond.”
He was thankful that their performance increased by two per cent, compared with the first cohort and to him, this “tells us that Rwanda’s emerging seed professionals are not only meeting global standards, they are beginning to set them.”
Each and every partner in this project deserved recognition. For example, for Howard G. Buffett Foundation, he said that their “investment reaches far beyond buildings and equipment. You are building human capacity and confidence that will shape Rwanda’s agricultural future.”
“And to One Acre Fund, whose belief in Rwanda’s potential helped bring this center to life, thank you for leading with both purpose and discipline,” he said.
We gather to celebrate academic achievement, to honor possibility – CEO One Acre Fund Rwanda
At the graduation, Belinda Bwiza, the CEO of One Acre Fund Rwanda said that the event is beyond celebration of graduates.
“We gather not only to celebrate academic achievement but also to honor possibility. The possibility of stronger harvests, confident farmers, and a seed sector that becomes more capable and visionary each year,” she said adding that the “the event reflects a shared belief that developing talent is just as important as developing technology. When we invest in people, we shape the future of agriculture from the inside out.”
To show how much this training is indispensable, Bwiza said, that high quality seed is the beginning of agricultural transformation. Before a field is prepared and long before the rains arrive, the future of a harvest is shaped by the seed and by the people who guide its journey.
In her speech, she also recognized the Ministry of Agriculture for the policies that allow such a training, and RICA for hosting this program and for providing the world class facilities and learning environment that made it possible.
Dr. Olivier Kamana, the Permenant Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources said that, the graduates come at the right time, because Rwanda needs seed multipliers that will support country’s efforts in availing locally produced quality seeds, thus educing imports.
“We also need climate change resilient seeds. These professionals were trained and will definitely contribute a lot in training seed multipliers,” Kamana said.
In fulfillment of the completion requirement, Albert Nkundineza, the best student in the second cohort did an evaluation on Protein and Zinc Biofortified Maize.
“We were trained on seeds quality and standards, harvesting the seeds and supply chain. It’s a one year program with seven lessons,” he said.
“In that year, we do a project that would have an impact on the society. Mine seeks to evaluate the behaviour of maize rich in Protein and Zinc. If we find that they do well, they can be given to farmers to combat malnutrition among children and the adults.”
According to Nkundineza, prior to starting a project, they conduct a survey to see what the farmers and the market need, so that they align research with demand.
For Umutoni Vanessa, the project consists in maize pruning, which targets lower leaves where maize are grown with cover plants.
“It has proven to increase production,” she said.
The event was marked by awarding the best students who exhibited exceptional performance in line with the center’s core values.
