Category: Business

Rwandan apiculture practitioners (beekeepers) have been introduced to new technology that will enable them increase quality production, attract investors and access to markets.

In a general assembly of Rwandan Cooperatives of Beekeepers (FERWACAPI), delegates have signed a memorandum of understanding with a company making technology programs ‘Medmasoft’, to market their activities, look for sponsors, markets, investors and other requirements for the progress of apiculture in Rwanda.

The president of FERWACAPI Nzabonimpa Anselme has revealed that adopting technologies in marketing their honey is meant to solve challenges that usually hampered beekeepers. “We have signed the MoU with Medimasoft makers to enable bee keepers and honey harvesters to use new technologies explore opportunities on the global market instead of waiting for aid and handouts,” he said.

“All people’s activities are evolving; we cannot leave beekeepers behind. They must use technologies at different levels of production including access to markets through their ‘B2B Cooperative.com’ website,” he added.

Rutagengwa Hervé, the director of ‘Medmasoft’ said “People seek information regarding needed services on internet before buying. We have committed to collaborate with the association so that they can post on the website what equipments they need, stocks at hand, their production processes and procedures to ease international audits for quality and eventually attract interested investors.”

Nsabimana Deus, a resident of Burera district commended the agreement saying it will boost markets unlike the past where activities were not recognized over the lack of appropriate tool to communicate their achievements, adding it will go a long way in accessing global markets.

The MoU has been signed at a time when Rwanda is preparing to host the international beekeepers summit in September 2016.

theophile@igihe.rw

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) wants African governments to create more direct and indirect jobs through extractive industries to drive prosperity.

According to the United Nations agency, oil, gas and mining industries currently account for just one per cent of the continent’s workforce, which is not sufficient to promote economic growth and bolster social inclusion.

The push for increased employment opportunities came up during an oil, gas and mining conference held in Khartoum, Sudan, organised by Unctad, which ended Thursday.

It brought together experts and industry players as well as policy makers from around the world to explore potential for exploration and production of oil, gas and minerals in Africa.

“The benefits that the extractive industries could bring to developing countries include revenues for host countries through production sharing agreements, royalties and income taxes. The development of the extractive industries could also generate wider economic benefits and promote inclusive growth and sustainable development,” said Unctad in a statement.

The UN estimates that in Africa, only five million jobs are created for the over 12 million young people entering the labour force annually.

Africa is home to eight per cent of the world’s oil and gas reserves.

The United States Geological Society also ranks the continent second in its share of world’s reserves of various metals including industrial diamond, rutile, ilmenite and zirconium, among others.

Given their capital intensive nature, extractive industries do not create many direct jobs.

However, they offer opportunities for support industries such as catering, logistics and security, among others, which absorb a large pool of workers.7

SOURCE:DAILY NATION:UN agency urges African countries to invest in mining sector

Entrepreneurs at an ongoing trade fair in Huye District have vowed to take advantage of the marketing opportunity presented by the expo.

The exhibition, which opened on Monday, drew mostly businesses operating in the Southern Province.

The event, at the Institute of the National Museums in Huye, will close on November 30.

It was organised by the Private Sector Federation (PSF) in partnership with the district, provincial leadership and other partners, including Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Rwanda Public Private Dialogue, and Germany Development Corporation (GIZ).

Etienne Ndayisenga, a worker at Dynapharm, a company retailing food supplements and fertilisers, said the exhibition is a perfect platform to market local products.

“We sensitise farmers in the framework of increasing productivity. People know that we have organic fertilisers which are both productive and safe; and enhance their yields,” he said.

Juvenal Senyana, from Musha Sector of Gisagara District, is exhibiting mats he makes from sacks and threads, trays from banana barks.

He said he is talking to as many people as possible about their business.

Jean Bosco Bigirimana, the PSF president in the Southern Province, said the exhibition would foster competition and winning exhibitors will be awarded.

Exhibitors include industries, telecommunication and ICT companies, artists, livestock and crop farmers, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools.

Some of the exhibitors are from Kenya, Tanzania, and India.

The trade fair attracted about 100 exhibitors.

Antoine Manzi Rutayisire, the director of capacity building entrepreneurship are PSF, said exhibitions are one of the ways the federation finds both internal and external market.

PSF organises annual international exhibitions but before the exhibition and identifies businesses in districts which can showcase at the national level.

The idea of organising exhibitions at the district level started in 2001 with an aim to find ways to develop private sector activities.

Jeanne Izabiriza, the Southern Province executive secretary, urged exhibitors to take advantage of exhibitions and learn from each other.

SOURCE:The New Times:Businesses seek to cash in on Southern Province exhibition

National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) says exports revenues from horticulture will fetch the country over $130 million USD in the next five years, up from $6 million earned from the sub-sector in 2014.

Nsanzabaganwa Epimaque, the head of horticulture division at NAEB says efforts have been directed towards achieving the target. Te revelation is a preamble to the international horticulture forum which will take place in Kigali from 25th to 27th November, 2015.

Over 300 vegetable and horticulture farmers with their partners from Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Netherlands and Rwanda will attend the forum. In a press briefing, Nsanzabaganwa explained that the meeting will discuss issues centered on boosting production and improvement of access to markets and containing post-harvest losses. An exhibition which will also be held at the Gikondo PSF ground in Kigali city.

Nsanzabaganwa says horticulture has not yet been developed since there is lack of access to European markets, faced with investment challenges since it requires a large budget to start and difficulties in flight and delivery.

A total of 380 young entrepreneurs and 34 trainers in business development have been equipped with skills in starting, managing and developing businesses with a call on them to present well researched and polished business plans for access to credit from financial institutions.

While passing out the trainees, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youth and ICT (MyICT), Rosemary Mbabazi also launched the ‘Start and Improve Your Business’ (SIYB) programme in Rwanda and advised trainees to commit to their businesses with passion, embrace networking, and continue with search for knowledge and good practices that will enhance their business performance.

The SIYB programme is being implemented by the Business Development Fund (BDF), in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), with an ultimate aim of improving viability of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through sound management principles suitable for the environment of developing countries.
She also urged young entrepreneurs in general to be confident while running their businesses and avoid fearing to fail.

“When starting a business, we don’t want to see it collapse. However, don’t fear to fail. Only passion, treading the right path and patience lead to success.”
Innocent Bulindi, the CEO of BDF, appealed to the trainees to exploit skills acquired into shaping their own businesses and contribute to the attainment of national development aspirations especially EDPRS II, which, among others, targets at least 200 000 off- farm jobs every year.

He also advised them to always come up with well thought out business plans that are bankable and can be implemented. “A number of SMEs fail to access BDF support because they present business plans which are not really well studied, some of which will have already been rejected by banks. I hope these trainings will be helping you to develop and improve your businesses and grow so that you can even employ more people.”

The trainings have been conducted under three SIYB programmes including ‘Generate Your Business’ (GYB) provided to those who don’t have any idea about business but willing to do it, ‘Start Your Business’ (SYB) for potential entrepreneurs with a concrete business idea and, lastly, Improve Your Business (IYB) provided to those who already have businesses but need to improve the management processes for better performance of their business.

The GYB, SYB and IYB programmes have been conducted for a duration of three, five and two days respectively.

Trainees have expressed gratitude towards the gesture and committed to applying the knowledge acquired for betterment of their entities. “Before this training, I had too many business ideas that I failed to translate into business plans. But now, I am able to choose one which can be successful, the target customers and the right product they want. I leave this training with a business idea which I believe BDF will support immediately because I have carefully evaluated it, using the skills I got from the training,” said Emmanuel Vuningoma, a GYB trainee.

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.

Huye entrepreneurs have been advised to improve the delivery of services as this will guarantee accelerated growth in the district and national development in general.

The advice was given by member of parliament Kayitare Innocent during the inauguration of ‘Galileo Stadium Hotel’, one of the hospitality facilities to provide services to the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) visitors to be hosted by Kigali.

Kayitare appreciated the high-gear preparations being carried out in the area as he visited Huye Stadium, one of football pitches to host the tournament.

The Mayor of Huye district, Kayiranga Muzuka Eugène appealed to entrepreneurs to commit more resources and efforts towards the completion of accommodation and other facilities since the CHAN tournament is only two months away.

Many tourists pass through Huye district to Nyungwe Forest National Park and Kibeho Holy Land in Nyaruguru district.

The widely acclaimed chili pepper product originally produced and packed in Rwanda has officially been given an international trademark certification on this Thursday12th November, 2015.

With Rwandan products gaining rapid global recognition, the need for international trademark protection and registration has become even more urgent.

Rwanda Development Board Registrar General Louise Kanyonga proclaimed that Akabanga, which is manufactured in Rwanda by Enterprise Urwibutso, had successfully obtained its global trademark registration.

“This is a clear manifestation of the possibility that Rwanda products have to be registered as international brand names,” she explained noting that the first step the firm had taken was to secure its brand name in Rwanda.

To secure its brand in Rwanda, Entreprise Urwibutso registered the Akabanga brand name in the Office of the Registrar General’s Intellectual Property Office, obtaining local protection.

Sina Gerard, the entrepreneur behind the Akabanga brand said that being a fast growing company that exports agro products, it became necessary to protect the same brand in each respective country where the products are marketed.

“We considered two options- to either use the national route and secure the brand separately in each country or use the Madrid System that is more efficient and inexpensive,” he explained adding that they chose the latter.

The Madrid System uses the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Madrid Agreement, as a one-stop solution for registering and managing marks worldwide. In this System, an applicant files one application, in one language, and pays one set of fees to protect the trademark in the territories of 96 members of Madrid Union.

This global registration though requires that the trademark must first have been registered with the home country of the producer.

“The home registration or application is known as the basic mark. You then need to submit your international application through this same IP Office, which will certify and forward it to WIPO, based in Geneva,” Kanyonga explained.

Once approved by WIPO, the trademark is recorded in the International Register and published in the WIPO Gazette of International Marks. WIPO will then send a certificate of the international registration and notifies the IP Offices in all the territories where the mark will be protected.

Rwanda has a set of unique products that defies competition on global level, registering their brands for 15 countries among 96 Madrid Union Member States would definitely be the next step to sustainably insure availability of made in Rwanda products.