Agaciro Development Fund and Hinga Wunguke join forces to support Rwanda’s agriculture

Agaciro Development Fund (AgDF) has entered into a significant collaboration with CNFA, representing the Feed the Future Rwanda Hinga Wunguke Activity (Hinga Wunguke), aiming to bolster food systems and market accessibility for Rwandan farmers. This partnership, formalized through a memorandum of understanding, focuses on empowering producers and smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, through enhanced market inclusion and profitability.

The agreement was signed at the Serena Hotel on November 22, 2023, by Ms. Tesi Rusagara, the Chief Executive Officer of AgDF, and Daniel Gies, the Chief of Party for Hinga Wunguke. This collaboration marks a significant step towards realizing shared goals in agricultural development and market expansion.

Central to this partnership is the identification and facilitation of co-investment opportunities. These initiatives will support farmers in accessing markets, adopting improved post-harvest handling practices, and gaining access to processing infrastructure to minimize post-harvest and processing losses. Additionally, the partnership aims to bolster agri-food enterprises and develop strategies to increase consumption of safe, nutritious foods, aligning with Rwandan consumer preferences.

Hinga Wunguke, a USAID-funded Feed the Future initiative with a five-year duration and a $28 million budget, will work alongside AgDF, Rwanda’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, to expand market access for farmers in the 13 districts where Hinga Wunguke operates.

Daniel Gies, Chief of Party for Hinga Wunguke, highlights the partnership’s potential to improve farmers’ access to resources, notably through the Rwanda Fertilizer Company. This collaboration is expected to significantly enhance farmers’ use of specially-blended fertilizers, thereby boosting production.

The MoU’s primary objective is to leverage resources to catalyze, enable, and scale operations of innovative, market-driven agrifood system businesses. These efforts are aimed at improving nutritional outcomes and increasing incomes for farmers and businesses in Rwanda. The collaborative financing approach, focusing on co-investment and due diligence, is central to this strategy.

Tesi Rusagara, CEO of AgDF, expressed enthusiasm about expanding the partnership to address critical challenges in the food system, enabling farmers to increase production, access markets, and improve their income. This partnership represents a strategic effort to strengthen Rwanda’s agricultural sector, enhancing food security and economic prosperity for its farmers.