{"id":55324,"date":"2025-08-22T14:28:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T14:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/heifer-international-rwanda-unveils-new-mechanisation-hub-in-nyagatare-to\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T14:29:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T14:29:38","slug":"heifer-international-rwanda-unveils-new-mechanisation-hub-in-nyagatare-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/heifer-international-rwanda-unveils-new-mechanisation-hub-in-nyagatare-to\/","title":{"rendered":"Heifer International Rwanda unveils new mechanisation hub in Nyagatare to accelerate smart farming"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Nyagatare hub, established under Heifer\u2019s Rwanda Dairy Market Systems (RDMS) Project, aims to improve smallholder farmers\u2019 access to affordable mechanisation services. <\/p>\n

It offers modern tractors, operator training, and a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) model that enables farmers\u2014especially youth\u2014to acquire tractors with a 5 percent down payment, with the balance repayable over five years from service income.<\/p>\n

The launch brought together government officials, partners, and farmers, and featured live tractor demonstrations, equipment handovers, and farmer testimonials highlighting the benefits of mechanisation.<\/p>\n

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Verena Ruzibuka, Country Director of Heifer Rwanda, noted that since the project\u2019s launch during agricultural seasons A and B, it has already recorded significant success. <\/p>\n

Through catalytic financing and the deployment of 15 tractors, the project has supported over 6,000 farmers and cultivated more than 3,000 hectares.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is designed to address persistent challenges such as limited access to modern equipment, high labour demands, and low productivity, while promoting sustainable and climate-smart farming practices,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ruzibuka emphasized that Heifer\u2019s financing has improved access and availability of mechanisation services over the past seven months, proving strong demand and impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough this expansion in Nyagatare, we are moving closer to our vision of ensuring every district in Rwanda has access to affordable and reliable mechanisation services. These hubs are not only about tractors, but also about creating a new generation of rural entrepreneurs\u2014from operators and booking agents to technicians\u2014who can transform agriculture into a thriving business sector,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n

The Nyagatare mechanisation hub will provide modern tractors and implements to help farmers cultivate larger areas more efficiently, reduce reliance on manual labour, and boost productivity and incomes. It will also serve as a training and service centre for operators, booking agents, and technicians, while integrating Hello Tractor\u2019s digital platform for transparent and convenient service access.<\/p>\n

Stephen Gasana, Mayor of Nyagatare, highlighted the importance of the initiative. He explained that 59.3 percent of district residents are crop farmers while 39.2 percent are cattle keepers, both groups requiring these services. In the 2024\/25 agricultural season, 83,190 hectares of land were cultivated, producing 261,640 tonnes of selected crops. However, only 7,654 hectares were cultivated using tractors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis limited mechanisation negatively impacted yields due to challenges such as incomplete land cultivation and delays in farming activities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that bringing these services closer to farmers will help us implement government policies, including cultivating 70 percent of grazing land. This target was not achieved in time because it required a large labour force within a short period, which was difficult to manage,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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Folu Okunade, Chief Operating Officer of Hello Tractor, which connects tractor owners with farmers in need of mechanisation services, stressed the scale of the challenge across Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfrica needs five million tractors to close the mechanisation gap. This represents a $122 billion opportunity that must be addressed. In Rwanda specifically, there are only 250 active tractors currently on the market,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe country actually needs 26,000 tractors to close that gap and reach the global average, fully servicing its arable land. That represents a $700 million opportunity for Rwanda. We know there are challenges, but we are excited to help tackle them,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis service of tractors and related machinery is very beneficial, as it creates jobs in different ways and helps people improve their livelihoods.\u201d<\/p>\n

While officiating the launch, Telesphore Ndabamenye, Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources, said mechanisation is central to Rwanda\u2019s National Strategy for Transformation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis launch comes at a time when our country is implementing the National Strategy for Transformation of Agriculture [PSTA 5], which seeks to advance the sector over the next five years. This strategy emphasizes agricultural modernization and the use of environmentally friendly technologies.<\/p>\n

In particular, mechanisation plays a critical role in reducing reliance on traditional, labour-intensive methods, enabling timely cultivation of larger plots, increasing productivity, and creating rural jobs\u2014all of which directly raise farmers\u2019 incomes.<\/p>\n

By establishing hubs like this, we are putting into practice one of the pillars of PSTA 5, which leverages modern technology and innovation to make agriculture inclusive and transformative,\u201d Ndabamenye said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe therefore encourage youth in this district and beyond to take part in this programme, because it is a great opportunity. Since we came here to launch such a centre, we hope that farmers in Nyagatare will start using it effectively, make the most of it, and eventually extend its benefits beyond Nyagatare to other districts as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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{{Success stories from the first hub}}<\/p>\n

Olivier Niyitegeka, a farmer from Kamate Village, Karangazi Sector in Nyagatare District, explained that using a tractor for cultivation is very different from relying on manual labour. <\/p>\n

In the last agricultural season, he cultivated one hectare with a tractor and harvested approximately 7.7 tonnes, compared to his neighbour who cultivated two hectares manually and harvested only 9 tonnes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe pay only Frw 85,000 per hectare, which is affordable. When we use a tractor, the soil absorbs water more easily, unlike with manual cultivation, which leaves crops vulnerable to drying when the weather is too hot. That\u2019s what affected my neighbour\u2019s crops. Tractors are efficient and save time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rutayisire Jackson, a dedicated livestock farmer, shared a similar experience. Before connecting with Hello Tractor, he relied on manual labour and traditional tools to cultivate three hectares of Napier grass and two hectares of maize. Meeting the nutritional needs of his eight cows was a constant struggle, especially during dry seasons when fodder shortages were severe.<\/p>\n

With access to reliable and timely tractor services, Rutayisire expanded his herd from eight to ten cows.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daily milk yield rose from 120 to 170 litres, increasing my daily income from Frw 48,000 to Frw 68,000\u2014a 41.7 percent increase in productivity and a 74.1 percent improvement in cost-benefit ratio. <\/p>\n

Even during dry spells, efficient fodder production has helped me maintain milk output and income, making my farm more resilient, profitable, and scalable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
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\"Folu<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Heifer Rwanda and Hello Tractor, in partnership with the Government of Rwanda, on August 21 launched a second mechanisation hub in Nyagatare District, expanding access to smart farming solutions for smallholder farmers. This follows the successful launch of the first hub in Kayonza District in November last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000092942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-55324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000092942,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arsn1758.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arsn1758.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arsn1758.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arsn1758.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arsn1758.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arsn1758.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000092942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55324"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=55324"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=55324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}