Women combating poverty and food insecurity through Irish Potato seed banking & multiplication.

Year: 2023
Country: Rwanda
Project Status: Funded
Impact Sector: Economic Opportunity
Project Investment: $4,924.90

Project Launch: 12-14-23

Women for women farmers Cooperative will use $4,924.90 coinvestment fund from World Connect to overcome food insecurity and poverty in Rambura community of Nyabihu district in the Western Province of Rwanda by improving agricultural yields through the growth of highly demanded, high yielding and disease resistant Irish Potato crop variety locally known as Kinigi. The Cooperative will invest in the Kinigi Irish Potato variety, shifting from growing basic varieties that yield 10,000kg per hectare to the proposed variety that will double their yield to 25,000 kg  per hectare.  The project will purchase and distribute 3,500kg of quality, high yielding and disease resistant Kinigi Irish potato tubers, and farm equipment such as pesticides, pumps and hoes  to all women  members of the cooperative. These women will grow the Irish potatoes both on individual family gardens and on collectively rented bigger farms so as to increase production for their family consumption and a surplus for sale to earn income. The new variety is expected to reach harvest in 4 months from planting. By the end of one year, women are expected to triple their earnings per agricultural season.