Agriterra, a Dutch non-governmental organization, has partnered up with the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB). This has resulted in trials to grow apples in the districts of Musanze and Gicumbi of Northern Province.
Agriterra supports local farmers in cooperatives who are engaged in dairy farming, Irish potatoes, maize, and sugarcane, horticulture and coffee among others. The NGO was founded in 1997 in the Netherlands; it currently works in 23 countries worldwide including 13 African countries.
Rwanda currently imports apples from South Africa and the government is keen to invest in domestic apple production to gradually substitute these imports. Agriterra, on October 26, launched trials to grow apples in Rwanda.
Jean Rémy Muramira, a Business Advisor at Agriterra, explained that at least 2,000 grafted apples of four varieties were planted on two hectares. The imported apple varieties were multiplied by the Fleuren Company in the Netherlands. The four grafted Dutch varieties include Gala, Red delicious, Granny and Golden delicious apple varieties that are popular on the local market, he said.
