Technical Activity Report: Projet d’Appui au Renforcement du CRDDM

The project is a three-year initiative implemented by the AGCRDDM and financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project's interventions focus on increasing farm productivity, strengthening producer organizations' participation in remunerative markets, improving sub-watershed management, and enhancing the capacity of the Rural Center for Sustainable Development (CRDD) to provide technical assistance to farmers, conduct applied research, and manage itself as an enterprise. The project's geographic focus is the Matheux Corridor in Rwanda. During the quarter from July 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021, the CRDDM executed several activities to achieve the project's objectives. The CRDDM supported the production of bean seeds and maize seeds, with 20 farmers assisted on 6.45 ha of land in the production of bean seeds, resulting in a yield of 1.1 MT/ha, significantly higher than the baseline. The CRDDM also assisted 700 rice farmers on 335.12 ha of land and 300 banana farmers on 121.35 ha of land, with yields ranging from 3.2 MT/ha to 4.5 MT/ha, more than double the yield without technical support. The project also focused on sub-watershed management, with three nurseries sites set up for reforestation activities. During this period, 9,479 seedlings were distributed and planted by beneficiaries in two sub-watersheds: Délugé / Bois neuf and Bethel. To strengthen the Boutiques d'Intrants Agricoles (BIAs) on the remunerative market, the CRDDM acquired 430 bags of fertilizer, generating an estimated income of 1,289,350.00 HTG. Key achievements during this quarter include the supervision of plantain growers, with 300 farmers assisted on 121.35 ha of land for a second harvest, and the supervision of rice growers, with 700 farmers assisted on 335.12 ha of land. The project also collected data on the harvest for all 700 rice plots and 5 rice demonstration plots, resulting in average yields of 3.2 MT/ha, 3.4 MT/ha, and 4.5 MT/ha, respectively. The project's results indicate a significant increase in farm productivity, with yields more than double the baseline. The project's interventions have also contributed to the strengthening of producer organizations' participation in remunerative markets and the improvement of sub-watershed management. The project's capacity-building activities have enhanced the CRDD's ability to provide technical assistance to farmers, conduct applied research, and manage itself as an enterprise.