Potato innovation platform
Summary
Potatoes are a very important crop in Rwanda: in 2007 it is estimated that close to one million tonnes of potatoes were produced in the country and that average per capita consumption was 125 kg (FAOSTAT). Only cassava contributes more energy to the average Rwandan's diet.
The RIU facilitated Potato Innovation Platform operates in Gicumbi District of Northern Rwanda. The key issue which emerged from stakeholder discussions was the acute lack of quality seed potatoes. This shortage is being addressed through initiatives focused on both the formal and informal seed sectors.
In the formal sector, the focus is on production of mini-tubers. In the informal sector the focus is on capacity building of farmers to enable them to practice better selection of seed potatoes from their own crops.
Brokering activities by RIU Rwanda have pulled together the network required to redevelop the potato sector in Rwanda and have spawned a profitable business creating seed potatoes or micro-tubers. These interventions have also creating income generating opportunities for poor Rwandan households.
Impact
Projected impact of the work of the Potato Innovation Platform: 25,000 people
Background
Potatoes were identified as a key crop for RIU because demand is very high: in a six month period in 2009 prices increased by more than 100%. Potatoes grow well in several parts of Rwanda and Gicumbi District has advantages due to environmental factors and proximity to markets.
Potatoes were introduced in Rwanda in the early 1900s, but since the early 1960s they have become a crop of increasing economic significance. Until the seventies, most varieties came from Europe. Because of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and its consequences, germplasm has been lost and varieties have degenerated, with a sharp drop in crop yields.
The potato underpins Rwanda's food security. Annual consumption is a very high at 125 kg per person, per year [Source: FAOSTAT © FAO Statistics Division 2010. 11 October 2010] making potato the country's second most important source of energy after cassava.
Potato Production (tonnes)
FAOSTAT© FAO Statistics Division 2010 | 11 October 2010 [est = FAO estimate]
Rwanda potato production 2009 (Source: FAOSTAT)
Typically potato producers are small family farms that intercrop potato with beans and maize.
The main problems affecting the country's potato value chain for the past decade is an acute shortage of quality seeds and inadequate crop husbandry. The challenge is for the Potato Innovation Platform to bring in some technical/organisational commercial innovations in order to induce a significant change in the value chain.
Despite these challenges, the potato market presents many opportunities both in Rwanda and in the East African region.
Establishing the priorities
RIU Rwanda brought together a range of stakeholder to explore the issues and bottlenecks which prevented the potato sector from developing. Participants in the Potato Innovation Platform included researcher institutions, NGOs/civil society organisations and representatives of key farmer cooperatives.
Many issues were identified including a lack of knowledge of potato disease control and poor crop husbandry techniques which resulted in low productivity. The most serious disease affecting potatoes in the major production zones is late blight (Phytophthora infestans). This is a particularly serious problem during the rainy season, prompting farmers to delay planting until after the peak rainfall, a practice that carries increased risk of drought. Another serious disease is bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum). Erwinia chrysanthemi causes severe local losses due to rot in some varieties.
However, the key issue which emerged was the acute lack of quality seed potato. The shortage of certified seed in Rwanda means that seed potato is often smuggled in from neighbouring Uganda.
Demand for two new high-yielding varieties, Rwangume and Rwansake, has been so great that the Rwandan Institute for Agricultural Sciences (ISAR), the government research institute, has not been able to multiply and certify the basic seed to meet demand.
The organisation of the Potato Innovation Platform
The aims of the platform are to work through the potato value chain to:
RIU Rwanda has in place a series of Platform Champions. For the Potato Innovation Platform this is the IMPUYAKI Cooperative. They have committed to work in partnership with a local NGO ADENYA (Association for the Development of Nyabimata).
The Platform has a three-year business plan (to December 2012) and a detailed quarterly implementation plan looking at:
RIU Rwanda undertook a training needs assessment to help establish priorities in area such as development and management of the platform. As a result the platform has continued to play a pro-active role in organising the potato seed system by linking all partners, initially for needs assessments and planning and later for project implementation.
The platform also identified that they need to work more closely with local authorities. So they are targeting regular meetings/communication between the platform Committee and the District Joint Action Forum. This gives an opportunity for targeting information and training at local authority staff who are increasingly involved in conveying messages/advice to farmers on potato production and intensification.
At a workshop in November 2009 stakeholders agreed that the Potato Innovation Platform was helpful for potato development in Gicumbi District. However, they decided to target financial institutions, NGOs and potato traders to fill in the gaps in platform.
Potato crops require more seeds, fertilisers and pesticides than crops such as cereals or legumes - so access to finance is important. The platform decided to convene a special workshop in December 2009 with representatives of banks and other financial institutions in order to agree on specific actions for improving agricultural financing.
Platform activities will include:
Partners
The formal seed sector
RIU has brokered a partnership to deliver changes in the supply of seeds and knowledge within the formal seed sector. Partners are undertaking training and knowledge transfer programmes, developing the planting materials with RIU providing a brokerage role and pump-priming finance role.
In collaboration with the biotechnology unit in ISAR, RIU is providing support for the creation of specialised units for the production of potato seed mini-tubers in order to adequately respond to the high demand for quality basic seed. This will involve construction of four greenhouses to produce basic seeds (mini-tubers).
The basic seed production operation is run as a business. The RIU finance is short-term, just until the business moves towards profitability.
RIU Rwanda identified IMPUYAKI, a registered farmer's cooperative based in Gicumbi District, as the platform champion. They developed a partnership with a local NGO and ISAR, the national agricultural research institute.
Starting in January 2010 the partnership established a potato greenhouse. This was the first time this approach had been applied in the district. RIU ensured that appropriate training was put in place for the team who will be running the seed production unit.
This multiplication process guarantees safe high-quality seeds. In the greenhouse the selected seed mature within a period of between 3 to 4 months.
An initial 7,000 in-vitro plants were produced in mid-May 2010 - ready for planting as seed potatoes in October 2010.
In October 2010, IMPUYAKI stated that they will multiply selected seed, which will be grown on 10 hectares of land, to produce over 40 tonnes of potato seed during this planting season.
ADENYA will work on the transfer of know-how while ISAR will provide vitro-plants and ensure quality control. ISAR is starting a screening process of the Rwangume and Rwansake varieties (from neighbouring Uganda) promoted by the platform in order to provide disease-free planting material for next multiplication season.
The informal seed sector
The Potato Innovation Platform identified comprehensive, on-farm, community-led campaigns on positive selection as effective interventions to cope with the issue of the quality of farmer-saved seed potato.
RIU will provide basic knowledge in practices related to positive selection so that participants can produce/keep their own seeds, and supply any surplus to their neighbours. RIU provided expertise and information required for implementing the activity (November 2009-February 2010).
An assessment was conducted in March 2010 to inform the progress of the platform. This involved introducing Farmer Field Schools to encourage community interaction and learning on proper potato husbandry and intensification.
Communications and marketing activity
Potato Day 1 May 2010 Labour Day
Potato Day included exhibitions, farmer's field events and farmer's competitions, with awards to best innovators.
Leverage of other funds and help in-kind
The Roots and Tubers Project, operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, has agreed to support the platform by setting up post-harvest infrastructures (50% subsidy) for farmers or cooperatives producing more than 60 tonnes of seed potato per season.
Going forward, ISAR and other members of the Potato Innovation Platform will take responsibility for issues such as certification and on-going training and support.
Summary
Potatoes are a very important crop in Rwanda: in 2007 it is estimated that close to one million tonnes of potatoes were produced in the country and that average per capita consumption was 125 kg (FAOSTAT). Only cassava contributes more energy to the average Rwandan's diet.
The RIU facilitated Potato Innovation Platform operates in Gicumbi District of Northern Rwanda. The key issue which emerged from stakeholder discussions was the acute lack of quality seed potatoes. This shortage is being addressed through initiatives focused on both the formal and informal seed sectors.
In the formal sector, the focus is on production of mini-tubers. In the informal sector the focus is on capacity building of farmers to enable them to practice better selection of seed potatoes from their own crops.
Brokering activities by RIU Rwanda have pulled together the network required to redevelop the potato sector in Rwanda and have spawned a profitable business creating seed potatoes or micro-tubers. These interventions have also creating income generating opportunities for poor Rwandan households.
Impact
Projected impact of the work of the Potato Innovation Platform: 25,000 people
Background
Potatoes were identified as a key crop for RIU because demand is very high: in a six month period in 2009 prices increased by more than 100%. Potatoes grow well in several parts of Rwanda and Gicumbi District has advantages due to environmental factors and proximity to markets.
Potatoes were introduced in Rwanda in the early 1900s, but since the early 1960s they have become a crop of increasing economic significance. Until the seventies, most varieties came from Europe. Because of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and its consequences, germplasm has been lost and varieties have degenerated, with a sharp drop in crop yields.
The potato underpins Rwanda's food security. Annual consumption is a very high at 125 kg per person, per year [Source: FAOSTAT © FAO Statistics Division 2010. 11 October 2010] making potato the country's second most important source of energy after cassava.
Potato Production (tonnes)
| 2000 | 957,202 | 2005 | 1,314,050 |
| 2001 | 1,012,269 | 2006 | 1,285,149 |
| 2002 | 1,038,931 | 2007 | 967,000 |
| 2003 | 1,099,549 | 2008 | 1,162,000 |
| 2004 | 1,072,770 | 2009 | 1,200,000 est |
Rwanda potato production 2009 (Source: FAOSTAT)
| Harvested area in Rwanda | 133 000 ha | |
| Quantity produced | 1 200 000 t | |
| Yield | 9.0 t/ha |
Typically potato producers are small family farms that intercrop potato with beans and maize.
The main problems affecting the country's potato value chain for the past decade is an acute shortage of quality seeds and inadequate crop husbandry. The challenge is for the Potato Innovation Platform to bring in some technical/organisational commercial innovations in order to induce a significant change in the value chain.
Despite these challenges, the potato market presents many opportunities both in Rwanda and in the East African region.
Establishing the priorities
RIU Rwanda brought together a range of stakeholder to explore the issues and bottlenecks which prevented the potato sector from developing. Participants in the Potato Innovation Platform included researcher institutions, NGOs/civil society organisations and representatives of key farmer cooperatives.
Many issues were identified including a lack of knowledge of potato disease control and poor crop husbandry techniques which resulted in low productivity. The most serious disease affecting potatoes in the major production zones is late blight (Phytophthora infestans). This is a particularly serious problem during the rainy season, prompting farmers to delay planting until after the peak rainfall, a practice that carries increased risk of drought. Another serious disease is bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum). Erwinia chrysanthemi causes severe local losses due to rot in some varieties.
However, the key issue which emerged was the acute lack of quality seed potato. The shortage of certified seed in Rwanda means that seed potato is often smuggled in from neighbouring Uganda.
Demand for two new high-yielding varieties, Rwangume and Rwansake, has been so great that the Rwandan Institute for Agricultural Sciences (ISAR), the government research institute, has not been able to multiply and certify the basic seed to meet demand.
The organisation of the Potato Innovation Platform
The aims of the platform are to work through the potato value chain to:
- help to capitalise on the competitive advantages for potato production in Gicumbi District with its close proximity to the markets in Kigali City
- help address the constraints impacting on potato production and marketing
- promote the use of knowledge and research through dissemination of advice and information
- impact on policy-dialogues at a district level
- increase profitability in Gicumbi District
RIU Rwanda has in place a series of Platform Champions. For the Potato Innovation Platform this is the IMPUYAKI Cooperative. They have committed to work in partnership with a local NGO ADENYA (Association for the Development of Nyabimata).
The Platform has a three-year business plan (to December 2012) and a detailed quarterly implementation plan looking at:
- enhancing demand for research outputs
- capacity strengthening of the platform
- communication and policy dialogue at platform level
RIU Rwanda undertook a training needs assessment to help establish priorities in area such as development and management of the platform. As a result the platform has continued to play a pro-active role in organising the potato seed system by linking all partners, initially for needs assessments and planning and later for project implementation.
The platform also identified that they need to work more closely with local authorities. So they are targeting regular meetings/communication between the platform Committee and the District Joint Action Forum. This gives an opportunity for targeting information and training at local authority staff who are increasingly involved in conveying messages/advice to farmers on potato production and intensification.
At a workshop in November 2009 stakeholders agreed that the Potato Innovation Platform was helpful for potato development in Gicumbi District. However, they decided to target financial institutions, NGOs and potato traders to fill in the gaps in platform.
Potato crops require more seeds, fertilisers and pesticides than crops such as cereals or legumes - so access to finance is important. The platform decided to convene a special workshop in December 2009 with representatives of banks and other financial institutions in order to agree on specific actions for improving agricultural financing.
Platform activities will include:
- enhancing smallholders capacity for adequate diagnoses and control of viral and bacterial diseases on potatoes in Gicumbi District
- improving the quality of potato through fostering on-farm community-led campaigns on positive and negative selection of seed potatoes
Partners
- ADENYA
- CARITAS Rwanda
- IMPUYAKI Cooperative
- Rwandan Institute for Agricultural Sciences (ISAR) - the National Agricultural Research Institute
The formal seed sector
"CARITAS Rwanda, in partnership with RIU intends to build four greenhouses in Gicumbi District, to increase production of high quality selected seeds in order to guarantee food security and improve the economic wellbeing of residents,"Kaniga Ntaganira, Sector Executive Secretary
RIU has brokered a partnership to deliver changes in the supply of seeds and knowledge within the formal seed sector. Partners are undertaking training and knowledge transfer programmes, developing the planting materials with RIU providing a brokerage role and pump-priming finance role.
In collaboration with the biotechnology unit in ISAR, RIU is providing support for the creation of specialised units for the production of potato seed mini-tubers in order to adequately respond to the high demand for quality basic seed. This will involve construction of four greenhouses to produce basic seeds (mini-tubers).
The basic seed production operation is run as a business. The RIU finance is short-term, just until the business moves towards profitability.
RIU Rwanda identified IMPUYAKI, a registered farmer's cooperative based in Gicumbi District, as the platform champion. They developed a partnership with a local NGO and ISAR, the national agricultural research institute.
Starting in January 2010 the partnership established a potato greenhouse. This was the first time this approach had been applied in the district. RIU ensured that appropriate training was put in place for the team who will be running the seed production unit.
This multiplication process guarantees safe high-quality seeds. In the greenhouse the selected seed mature within a period of between 3 to 4 months.
An initial 7,000 in-vitro plants were produced in mid-May 2010 - ready for planting as seed potatoes in October 2010.
In October 2010, IMPUYAKI stated that they will multiply selected seed, which will be grown on 10 hectares of land, to produce over 40 tonnes of potato seed during this planting season.
ADENYA will work on the transfer of know-how while ISAR will provide vitro-plants and ensure quality control. ISAR is starting a screening process of the Rwangume and Rwansake varieties (from neighbouring Uganda) promoted by the platform in order to provide disease-free planting material for next multiplication season.
The informal seed sector
The Potato Innovation Platform identified comprehensive, on-farm, community-led campaigns on positive selection as effective interventions to cope with the issue of the quality of farmer-saved seed potato.
RIU will provide basic knowledge in practices related to positive selection so that participants can produce/keep their own seeds, and supply any surplus to their neighbours. RIU provided expertise and information required for implementing the activity (November 2009-February 2010).
An assessment was conducted in March 2010 to inform the progress of the platform. This involved introducing Farmer Field Schools to encourage community interaction and learning on proper potato husbandry and intensification.
Communications and marketing activity
Potato Day 1 May 2010 Labour Day
Potato Day included exhibitions, farmer's field events and farmer's competitions, with awards to best innovators.
Leverage of other funds and help in-kind
The Roots and Tubers Project, operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, has agreed to support the platform by setting up post-harvest infrastructures (50% subsidy) for farmers or cooperatives producing more than 60 tonnes of seed potato per season.
Going forward, ISAR and other members of the Potato Innovation Platform will take responsibility for issues such as certification and on-going training and support.
| RIUtv meets... Clement Kirenga - on potatoes, November 2010 (04:52) |  |
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Brokering networks for innovation: who and how? Author: Andy Hall April 2010 (PDF 70KB) |
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