Josaphat Mugabo, Sospeter Nyamwaro, Robin Buruchara, Moses Tenywa, Wanjiku Chiuri, Bernard

Musana, Francoise Murokunkwe, Pascal Habyamugisha, Claver Nyaboyisonga, and Birasa Nyamulinda

Country and IP Interface challenge Partners Innovations Outcomes Rwanda, Gata-raga Irish Potato IP

Market-Technology-Policy interface of low price, poor harvest & postharvest han-dling procedures

Farmers (famers groups), Private sector (niche markets, input dealers, microfi-nance, SACCO), Policy makers (local authorities), Researchers (ISAR, ISAE, NUR, CIAT), extension workers (Imbaraga)

Potato washing, sorting, grading, and packaging in woven sacks and bags made out of banana fibres; Facilitating access to planting material of market preferred variety (Kinigi); Dehaulming before harvest

Improved quality, increased yield, shelf life, access to niche market and increased prices. Farmers receive RFrw20-30/kg above going market prices

Table 1: Market development and productivity enhancement innovations for Ir ish potatoes in Gataraga IP, Rwanda

Agro-processors (Urwibutso), export-ers, producer organisations, input suppliers, credit agencies (Bank Popu-laire Du Rwanda; RIM (Réseau Inter diocésain de Microfinance) - Rwanda), Land agencies

Government Policy & Regulatory framework

Donors / Partners / Political stability (FARA, CIAT, Local Gov’ts)

Private sector: Value chain, market chains, supply chains

Public sector: -infrastructure and communication

Agricultural education system (NUR, MAK,

ISAE)

Agricultural extension sys-tem (Imbaraga, Gvt)

Agricultural research systems (ISAR )

AKIS / RD (Agricultural knowledge for Rural

Developement)

IP— Farmer

Gataraga Innovation Platform Essentially an IP, like Gataraga, is a multi-stakeholder problem identification and solving forum based at the grass-root level. The forum brings together multi-stakeholders for visioning, planning and implementing the application of new ideas, practices, and services, which arise through interaction, crea-tivity, insight, and empowerment, with the aim of improving the existing situa-tion / conditions around a common interest / challenge and thereby bringing

Introduction Multi-stakeholder partnerships are based on Innovation Platforms (IPs) that are a major vehicle of driving Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) approaches that are being undertaken under the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme (SSACP). In Lake Kivu Pilot Learning Site (LKPKS) of SSACP there are 12 IPs based on different entry value chains (including potatoes, beans, bananas, cassava, milk, chillis, passion fruits, & organic pineapples). Gataraga in Rwanda is one of the 12 IPs in the LKPLS.

Background of Gataraga IP Gataraga IP comprises of 10 villages in Musanze District of Northern Rwanda. Its main focus had been the pro-duction of Irish potatoes for both food security and occasional marketing. However, the production has been de-clining due to low yields and difficulties in marketing the crop. Although research was undertaken in the past to address these constraints, little improvement in production and marketing has been realised. Few research out-puts were adopted and consequently yields continued to decline. But after IAR4D interventions, things have been moving towards right directions. The IP has been linked to markets and this has stimulated increased production and improved post harvest handling for increased shelf life of harvested potatoes and quality improvement.

Improving productivity Options for rapid multiplication and planting of market demanded Kinigi potato variety have been assessed and positive selection is now practised in the fields, where healthy disease free seedlings are selected for further propagation amongst the local farmers. Meanwhile, ISAR with support from International Potato Centre (CIP) has established modern facilities for tissue culture and rapid multiplication of seed potatoes. The Government has also increased budgetary allocation for introduction and multiplication of Kinigi potato variety. Participatory assessment of alternative soil fertility-enhancing options are being tested by farmers from each of the village groups. This includes the use of manure from livestock with fodder grown along contours on field boundaries for feeding to livestock. Five learning centres have been established providing opportunity to learn improved potato production techniques using four improved potato varieties, organic and inorganic fertilizers, cor-rect spacing and pest management. In general potato production before IAR4D interventions used to be about 6MTs/ha and now farmers are producing about 24MTs/ha. But there are some other farmers who are currently producing up to as high as 30MTs/ha.

Improving postharvest handling and marketing Local niche markets have been identified at hotels and a supermarkets in Kigali and other towns like Ruhengeri. These require potatoes to be cleaned, sorted and graded, and in the case of the supermarket packaged in 5kg containers. In addition to Imbaraga potato wash-ing station, a few more stations have been established. One of the new washing stations is owned and operated by a lady farmer and trader, and an IP member.

Markets Farmers were encouraged to form farmer groups that could address production and marketing constraints through testing new production technologies, and enhancing collective bargaining for acquiring inputs and marketing activities. Farmers have now formed 24 groups each with 20 men and women with each group being represented in the IP. In the marketing of potatoes, a trader buys from the farmer groups and delivers in the niche markets. One of the hotels in Ki-gali, for example, Hotel Chez Lando purchases potatoes from Gataraga farmers instead of the local market and are more than happy with the quality and quantities supplied. They have further suggested that more value can be added to potatoes in the form of chips and crisps and are encouraging partners to consider growing potato varieties for such options.

The future

The IP is now established and accepted at the District level. It organizes well attended regular meetings with women being represented on the IP execu-tive and steering committees. The IP is viewed by farmers as a centre for bringing together experts to address farmer problems. Farmers see themselves as local researchers insisting that they test new technologies. They view themselves as equals among others, with agriculture being developed as a com-mercial profitable business. Farmers have expressed a desire for exchange visits – to visit and learn from other IPs and importantly for the IP concept to be used in other sectors, outside agriculture. The way forward now is to continue gathering more information to confirm the current successes and plan to scale up and out to national levels.

MULTISTAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: LINKING VALUE CHAIN ACTORS IN LKPLS, THE GATARAGA IP, RWANDA

CIAT Africa, Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) | P.O. Box 6247, Kampala, UgandaPhone: +256 414 567670/567259 | Fax: +256 414 567635 Email: r.buruchara@cgiar.org; ciatUganda@cgiar.org