The Seasonal Agricultural Survey 2023 annual report by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) highlighted the performance of major crops that Rwanda prioritises under the Crop Intensification Programme (CIP). The crops play a major role in Rwandans' nutrition.
The report covers three primary agricultural seasons in Rwanda. The main agricultural seasons include Season A, which spanned from September 2022 to February 2023, Season B which started from March to June 2023, and Season C which started from July to September 2023.
The survey results are useful to monitor the current agricultural and food supply conditions and facilitate evidence-based decision-making for the development of the agricultural sector, according to NISR.
Below is the performance of five major crops under CIP, including their cultivation area, production, and yield in the year under review:
Maize
The cultivated area for maize was estimated at 226,982 hectares in 2023 season A, an increase of 3.3 per cent when compared to the same season of 2022. In season B, the cultivated area for the crop was estimated at 93,927 hectares, a rise of 15 per cent when compared to the season B of 2022.
According to the survey estimates, overall, more than 508,000 tonnes of maize were produced in the 2023 farming year, according to estimates from the survey.
The average yield of maize in 2023 was 1.7 tonnes per hectare in season A of 2023, while it was 1.3 tonnes per hectare in season B. This is almost 11 per cent higher than over 458,500 tonnes of maize produced in 2022, as per the 2022 survey by NISR.
Irish potatoes
For Irish potatoes, the cultivated area was estimated at 55,613 hectares in season A of 2023, a decrease of 1.5 per cent when compared to the same season of 2022. In season B, the cultivated area of Irish potatoes was estimated at 48,210 hectares, a decrease of 9.1 per cent when compared to the same season of 2022.
In season C, the cultivated area under Irish potatoes was 10,540 hectares, an increase of 0.8 per cent when compared to the same season of 2022.
The annual production of Irish potato was estimated at slightly over 865,000 tonnes in 2023, representing a reduction of about 43,000 tonnes compared to slightly over 908,000 tonnes realised in 2022.
The average yield of Irish potato was 8.2 tonnes per hectare in season A of 2023, 6.7 tonnes per hectare in season B, and 7.9 tonnes per hectare in season C of the same year.
Cassava
The cultivated area for cassava was estimated at 239,221 hectares in season A of 2023, an increase of 28.5 per cent when compared to the same season of 2022. In season B, the cultivated area for cassava was estimated at 159,089 hectares, an increase of 4 per cent when compared to season B of 2022.
The harvested area was estimated at 45,182 hectares in season A of 2023 and 49,655 hectares in season B of 2023.
In total, cassava production amounted to more than 1.34 million tonnes in 2023, which implies about 30,000 tonnes less production compared to more than 1.37 million tonnes achieved in 2022.
The average yield of cassava was 13.5 tonnes per hectare in season A of 2023 and 14.8 tonnes per hectare in season B of 2023.
Paddy rice
Regarding paddy rice, cultivated area was estimated at 16,135 hectares in season A of 2023, an increase of 1.9 per cent when compared to the same season of 2022. In season B, the cultivated area for paddy rice was 16,678 hectares, an increase of 1 per cent when compared to season B of 2022.
Paddy rice production in 2023 amounted to 133,628 tonnes, 1,446 tonnes less than the 135,074 tonnes recorded in the previous year. It is worth mentioning that paddy rice is rice that is still in its inedible husk that accounts for about 30 per cent of the weight - and it's removed through milling. This implies that in a tonne of paddy rice, about 300 kilos are husks.
The average yield of paddy rice was 3.96 tonnes per hectare, in season A of 2023, and 4.2 tonnes per hectare in season B.
Beans
The cultivated area for beans was estimated at 312,279 hectares in season A of 2023, a decrease of 13.8 per cent when compared to season A of 2022. In season B, the cultivated area for beans was estimated at 309,489 hectares, an increase of 15 per cent when compared to season B of 2022. In season C, the cultivated area for beans was 3,476 hectares, an increase of 5.6 per cent when compared to season C of 2022.
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Total bean production was estimated at more than 441,000 tonnes in 2023, or 8,000 tonnes less than the 449,000 tonnes registered in 2022.
The average yield of beans was 632 kilos per hectare in season A, 789 kilos per hectare in season B, and 1,003 kilos per hectare in season C.
Use of farm inputs, irrigation
The 2023 survey results indicated that 37.1 per cent of farmers in season A, 20.8 per cent in season B, and 20.7 per cent in season C used improved seeds. It showed that 59.6 per cent of famers applied inorganic fertiliser in season A, while 51.6 per cent of them used it in season B, and 74.5 per cent in season C.
In season A of 2023, 10.3 per cent of farmers practiced irrigation compared to 9.6 per cent of farmers in season B and 64.6 per cent in season C.
