RICA is an undergraduate institution of excellence in practical agriculture set to open in July 2019.
The tertiary institution is being constructed by the Government of Rwanda with support from Howard Buffet Foundation.
The institute will combine research, education, extension services and will enroll 84 students yearly.
Speaking at the event, Mukeshimana said that the practical and experiential learning institution is a unique and innovative dedicated to preparing the next generation of agriculturalists of Rwanda and East Africa.
RICA students will learn the principles of conservation agriculture and One Health while emphasizing written communication, leadership and entrepreneurship. They will engage with communities to ensure research insights are informed by local needs and RICA’s innovations benefit local communities.
“The agriculture practical institute is going to be set up with a core mission to prepare socially responsible, innovative, and entrepreneurial leaders with practical skills to contribute to modernized and sustainable agriculture for sustainable rural development,” Mukeshimana said.
Students at RICA will be exposed to six different enterprises including Beef Cattle and Small Ruminants, Dairy, Poultry and Swine, Row and Forage Crops, Vegetable and Tree Crops, Irrigation and Mechanization.
It is expected that all RICA graduates will be innovative problem solvers able to operate farms and ranches, start agribusinesses, assume management roles in cooperatives and other agriculture enterprises, serve their communities as extension agents, technical and policy experts.
The first phase of campus construction will be completed in July 2019. A second phase of campus construction will be completed in July 2020
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