Agriculture is a vital sector for Rwanda’s economy, but farmers face challenges including poor soil, which makes it difficult to grow crops and leads to inefficient use of resources. A major part of the problem has been the use of blanket fertilizer recommendations across different regions of Rwanda, without considering that different soils require specific treatments. This has resulted in lower crop yields and the inefficient use of seeds and fertilizers.
To address this issue, Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and its partners launched the Rwanda Digital Soil Information System. The system was developed under the Rwanda Soil Information System (RwaSIS), and will provide farmers with detailed, location-specific information about their soil, including its composition, the best crops to grow, erosion risks, and the right amount of fertilizers to use.
The system benchmarks on trials conducted with key crops such as potatoes, rice, maize, wheat, beans, and cassava. These trials gathered valuable data that helped create recommendations tailored to each region of Rwanda. While final tests for maize, wheat, cassava, and beans are still ongoing, fertilizer recommendations for potatoes and rice have already been completed. Farmers will be able to use the system by entering their soil identification, known as UPI. The system will then provide them with specific information about their soil, crop recommendations, erosion risks, and the correct amounts of fertilizer to use for better yields.
In his launching remarks, Honorable Dr Mark Bagabe Cyubahiro, the minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources dedicated the platform to farmers, stating: “This platform is yours. Your resilience inspires us to innovate. Engage with RwaSIS and share your experiences; your feedback will help refine and expand its impact.”
The Rwanda Digital Soil Information System was financially supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and got technical assistance of several organizations, including AfSIS, ISRIC, IITA, CIP, CIFOR-ICRAF, CABI, CGIAR, One Acre Fund (OAF), and the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA). This system serves as a revolutionary tool to finetune use of fertilizer inputs in Rwanda, giving farmers the tools and knowledge to grow more crops, use resources better, and contribute to the country’s economic growth. (End)