Rwanda’s climate has become increasingly erratic in recent years, with smallholders suffering from reduced yields and crop failure due to changes in rainfall. Since 2016, EUCORD has been implementing demonstrations on low to medium cost irrigation technologies to show how resilience to climate change can be built at the farm level. The project promotes improved, market led farming during both the rainy and dry seasons. EUCORD’s experience in Rwanda shows that a farmer can gain an additional net profit between USD 800 and USD 1,000 per hectare/year when low cost irrigation technologies are used. However, EUCORD learned that several constraints prevent the wide adoption of irrigation technologies and is therefore proposing to address these by expanding both the scope and outreach of activities in Rwanda. The project’s goal is to pilot sustainable financing solutions to accelerate the introduction of innovative irrigation technologies. The grant will target 19 cooperatives in eastern Rwanda, helping to build collateral, which will allow them to procure the equipment through a loan rather than a donation. The project will help address market constraints by improving the productivity of food and high value crops, introducing affordable and water-efficient irrigation technologies, and securing financing windows for farmers to gain access to much needed capital loans. The overall result will strengthen the resilience of agricultural activities and counter the negative impact of climate change.
