Increased potato value chain efficiency in Great Lakes Region The Rwandan potato value chain suffers from inefficiencies  a lack of coordination  planning  diverging interests from key stakeholders and weak linkage between the seed and potato value chain. The consortium aims to contribute to value chain strengthening  market dynamics and the government’s quest for a food secure Rwanda. The Seed Potato Fund (SPF) will invest in mini tuber production. More G1  G2  G3 and G4 seed potatoes will be produced by associated smallholder farmers and kept in the value chain. The seed and potato value chain then need to sustainably connect. Smallholders farmers in both chains need a viable and feasible business case and need private sector for inputs and offtake of produce. Hollanda Fair Foods will introduce a cleaned and packaged potatoes and develop a market and invest in production line and climate smart storage. Through outgrower schemes with lead and support farmers the Seed Potato Fund and Hollanda Fair Foods will support farmer’s businesses with improved agricultural practices  climate change adaptation and business development skills. The Farmer Field Days and outgrower scheme will be developed with agronomic support from Delphy and Holland Green Tech  based on the inputs of SPF and the cooperative network of Agriterra. For farmers to improve the quality of their potatoes and increase production pre-financing each season is needed. Agri-wallet offers an option to its users in which 20% of the price paid for the potatoes can be kept as earmarked funds in a blocked mobile money account  only to be used to purchase inputs again next year. This will contribute to strengthening liquidity within the value chain. The Rwandan Ministry of Agricultural will stimulate collaboration along the value chain and support the creation of a stable and supportive business environment. Connecting and improving the seed and ware potato value chains in Rwanda in this RVO funded SDGP project in Rwanda. Consortium: Delphy  SPF Joint Ventures  Agriterra  Hollanda Fairfoods  Dodore  MINAGRI
In brief  this is what we propose to do as Agriterra:
  
  Scoping of 14 potato      cooperatives during inception phase
  Assessment of at least 8 potato      cooperatives during inception phase (4 seed  4 ware)
  Contracting of 8 potato      cooperatives during inception phase (4 seed  4 ware) based on annual      action plans of €1 200 contribution Agriterra
  8 coops trained on FM (2 FM      trainings given)
  8 coops trained on MyCoop (3      MyCoop trainings given)
  5 agripool missions organized      on warehousing  storage and MIS
 
Expected timeline: inception phase from July 2019 – December 2019 and project phase January 2020 – 30 June 2023 (3.5 years implementation)
We will do these activities with 1 local business advisor who will work as consultant  plus support from a senior and medior BA of Agriterra.
 
  
The project aims to increase the usage of formal seeds in the potato value chain and to connect seed multiplication with end markets. SPF will invest in an aeroponic facility and in two warehouses for early generation seeds. Hollanda Fairfoods will invest in a new processing line for cleaned potatoes and in 1 seed potato storage and 1 ware potato storage. Delphy will train farmers with Holland Greentech and Agriterra will focus on cooperative development. Dodore is the company behind Agriwallet  which will be implemented through Hollanda Fairfoods and SPF: payments by mobile phone with the option to save 20% earmarked funds in the Agriwallet  to be used the next season to buy inputs at selected service/inputs providers.