Agriseeds Africa Ltd is a private company that is targeting to increase agricultural productivity for large and small scale farmers in Rwanda by providing high yielding and quality seeds. The company aims to multiply the seeds while ensuring that farmers can afford high quality seeds.
The company undertook the venture after hearing frustrations from farmers for lack of improved seeds, without targeting any particular type of seed the project customizes on the needs of the local market. Currently it’s only multiplying Irish potatoes seeds and will soon start to multiply bananas and other seeds.
Athanase Ndagijimana, one of the owners of Agriseeds African Ltd says that they started the company with the aim of supporting farmers to raise productivity by providing improved seeds on the local market.
Farmers in rural areas mainly on small scale level had limited access to improved seeds which forced Agriseeds Africa to start availing and trading the high yielding and quality seeds that will support and facilitate the agricultural sector in general.
According to Ndagijimana, even though they have just started the venture there is market in Rwanda because most farmers who were using imported seeds, now have a better alternative with good quality.
The company also has capacity to satisfy the local market as well as multiple varieties of seeds. they established laboratories in Musanze because Irish potatoes farmers in this region were the most affected.
Bugingo David, the Managing Director of Agriseeds Africa Ltd notes that they are using some of the latest technologies to multiply seeds, like tissue culture Laboratory to provide seeds to farmers that are free of any disease.
The company is using aeroponics system to increase productivity of mini-tubers, and have set laboratories with a team of experienced experts. Agriseeds Africa is able to produce over 140,000 of the vitro plants of Irish potatoes per season.
Bugingo explains that they work closely with the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) to ensure that the seed verities multiplied confer and are suitable to the region.
The company also provides demonstrations to farmers to acquire practical skills and encourage them to adopt new technologies.
To ensure food security in Rwanda there is need for continuous innovations in food production, one of the areas that Agriseeds Africa Ltd is providing to ensure high productivity with less or small spaces.
