Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva has announced that the government aims to reduce post-harvest losses to below 5 per cent by 2029, down from 13.8 per cent recorded in 2023.

Speaking before Parliament on Wednesday, August 12, presenting the Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), Nsengiyumva said the management of agricultural produce will be improved to achieve the target.

"Reaching the target will require the establishment of infrastructure such as drying racks and storage facilities, better transportation of produce to markets, and building the capacity of processing factories," he told the two Chambers of Parliament.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, interventions under the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PSTA) will include investment in feeder roads, post-harvest management, and market infrastructure to strengthen linkages in the agri-food system.

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Post-harvest training programmes for farmers will be conducted to improve the handling and storage of perishable foods and animal products, alongside developing a viable, private sector-driven operating model for post-harvest handling.

According to the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), five post-harvest centers are under construction, set to be completed by 2026, to dry chili and cure onions across the country. The national post-harvest centre will be built in Kigali at the NAEB headquarters, while other centres will be built in the districts of Rulindo, Bugesera, Nyagatare and Rubavu.

The national centre, currently under construction, will have the capacity for 40 tonnes of chili and onions per day. Each local centre will have the capacity to process 9.6 tonnes of chili and 34.5 tonnes of onions per day.