{The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) and Private Sector Federation (PSF) has launched a new cooperative that brings together farmers and middlemen with an ultimate aim of improving the market chain of Irish potatoes. }
The Regional Potatoes Trade (RPT) will be operating from Igit cy’inyoni, a Kigali peripheral trading center, comprising of 446 members including former vendors of potatoes in Kigali City, cooperatives of Irish potatoes farmers as well as transporters.
During the inauguration, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Francois Kanimba, said that the potatoes value chain is faced with challenges of price volatility which adversely affect production and farmers’ welfare in subsequent seasons.
Kanimba advised RPT members to work closely with potato dealers in ensuring price stability and continuity of bumper harvests, expressing hope for better performance of the value chain. He called on security organs to provide security so as to block illicit trade that characterized activities in the locality.
RPT have an investment portfolio Rwf6.3 billion to be spent on the construction of the market place as well as other structures and activities to improve their business.
The Minister of State in charge of Agriculture at MINAGRI Tony Roberto Nsanganira noted that the collaboration of key players in the potatoes value chain will go a long way in reducing post-harvest losses and reduce perishable rates.
Since November2014, the price paid to potato growers has gone up from Rwf70 to Rwf140 per kilogram while production rose from about one million tons in 2002 to more than two million tons in last two years. Irish is ranked as one of the major staple foods in Rwanda.
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