Rwanda Fertilizer Company Ltd. (RFC) on Monday unveiled three new fertilizer blends designed to increase farm productivity and reduce the country’s reliance on imported fertilizers.
The products — Twihaze, Ongera, and Ongera+ — were introduced at an event attended by government officials, including Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye, and Morocco’s Ambassador to Rwanda Youssef Imani.
The new fertilizers are the result of five years of research under the Rwanda Soil Information System (RwaSIS) project, implemented in collaboration with the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). The study analyzed soil composition across the country to develop fertilizers suited to Rwanda’s varying terrain and soil conditions.
“Rwanda is a country of a thousand hills, and our soils are not the same everywhere,” Ndabamenye said. “We needed fertilizers tailored to each region to get the best yields. Research shows that these new blends could even triple productivity.”
Each fertilizer was formulated based on the needs of specific crops and soil types. For example, Twihaze was developed for acidic soils in highland areas and can be used for potatoes, beans, maize, and rice. The blend includes lime, which helps neutralize soil acidity and improve nutrient absorption.
RFC Chief Executive Officer Anass Khanchoufi said the new products were “made in Rwanda, for Rwanda.” He added that the fertilizers will help farmers improve yields and reduce costs associated with importing conventional products such as DAP and NPK.
Morocco’s Ambassador Youssef Imani praised the collaboration between the two countries, saying, “This partnership shows how technology and innovation can strengthen agriculture and economic ties between Rwanda and Morocco.”
RFC, located in the Bugesera Industrial Park, is a joint venture between the Government of Rwanda—through the Agaciro Development Fund and Agro-Processing Trust Corporation—and Morocco’s OCP Africa. The plant has the capacity to produce 100,000 metric tons of fertilizer annually.
According to the company, the new blends are expected to boost yields by up to 20% per hectare and cut fertilizer costs by 40%.
Farmers welcomed the innovation. “With the old fertilizers, we harvested six to seven tons of maize per hectare,” said Innocent Ngayaberura, a farmer from Nyagatare District. “We expect these new ones to double that because they match our soils.”
OCP Africa’s East Africa business director Morabit Marouane said the launch is part of a broader effort to make Rwanda a regional hub for modern, data-driven agriculture.
