It is money that will help the Government of Rwanda in implementing agricultural strategies, especially the role of this sector in the development goals of the country in improving food and nutrition.
Ambassador Nicola Bellomo, Representative of the European Union to Rwanda, said that in the fight to rebuild the economy devastated by COVID-19, there was a need to establish an agricultural policy that would help in this regard.
“As we focus on meeting, the economic downturn caused by COVID-19, it is important that Rwanda focuses on the use of force in formulating agricultural policies that will help in economic recovery,” he said.
The grant will play a key role in policy development aimed at sustainable development and capacity building in the country through the implementation of the Agricultural Transformation Strategy (PSTA 4) through policy analysis, capacity building and collaboration.
IFPRI will conduct an analysis of the use and information that will assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) in identifying the most urgent needs, in order to accelerate economic growth.
IFPRI Director Dr David Spielman said that the fact that Rwanda is committed to making decisions based on solid evidence on agricultural and nutrition policies is a matter of pride.
“We have the opportunity to work with partners who are passionate about it and make it clear that there is a need for better analysis, collaboration, and capacity building,” he said.
The agricultural sector is also among the worst hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, with figures from the Ministry of Finance and Planning showing that the sector will grow by 2.8% in 2020 from 5% in 2019.
In the 2020/21 budget, the Government of Rwanda aims to focus more on increasing agricultural and livestock production with a focus on increasing the production of organic crops; increasing investment in agriculture, expanding agricultural and livestock insurance programs, and increasing the value of agricultural production through industry.
Original Story: IGIHE.
Translated by: RYAF Communication Team