KIGALI, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) — The Rwandan government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have signed a 78.5 million U.S. dollar financing agreement to improve the country’s agricultural sector.
In a statement, the Rwandan Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning said the funding will support the Kayonza hillside irrigation project in eastern Rwanda, which has been credited with expanding cultivated land and enhancing water management, thereby improving farm yields.
Kayonza District has recorded some of the lowest rainfall levels in the country over the past three years, leading to prolonged droughts, according to the Rwanda Meteorology Agency.
To address the challenge, the government plans to construct a dam with the capacity to store one million cubic meters of water to facilitate irrigation, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The funding will also support small livestock value chains, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning said, adding that the overall goal is to reduce poverty, improve food security, enhance agricultural climate resilience, and increase incomes for rural households.
