From Research to Resilience: AFS Kigali’s Agricultural Learning Journey to Huye

On 31 August, the AFS Kigali delegation

travelled to Huye for an inspiring field visit focused on one of Rwanda’s most important development assets: its agricultural research and innovation ecosystem.

The visit provided an opportunity to move

beyond the classroom and experience first-hand how scientific research, technology, conservation, and farmer-focused innovation are contributing to the transformation of Rwanda’s agricultural sector. 

The visit demonstrated a powerful connection

between research institutions and the realities faced by farmers — from conserving valuable genetic resources to developing improved planting materials, strengthening soil fertility, and increasing the productivity and resilience of agricultural systems.

Discovering Rwanda’s Agricultural Research Ecosystem

At RAB Rubona Station, participants explored a

remarkable collection of more than 100 conserved banana varieties. The collection illustrates the importance of agricultural biodiversity and the role of research institutions in protecting genetic resources that can support future breeding, adaptation, and food security.

The visit also introduced participants to

advanced technologies supporting early-generation seed production and germplasm conservation across a diverse range of crops, including:

• Cassava
• Sweet potato
• Banana
• Coffee
• Passion fruit
• Tree tomato

Seeing these systems in practice offered a

valuable perspective on the science behind the crops that sustain rural livelihoods. Conservation is not simply about preserving varieties for the future; it is also about maintaining the genetic diversity needed to respond to emerging challenges such as climate change, pests, diseases, and changing market demands.

From Innovation to the Farmer

A particularly important aspect of the visit was learning about rapid cassava seed multiplication and customized soil-fertility management systems.

These innovations demonstrate how agricultural research can be translated into practical solutions. Producing quality planting material more rapidly can help farmers access improved varieties, while soil-fertility approaches adapted to specific conditions can support more efficient use of nutrients and improve productivity.

Together, these technologies illustrate a broader principle: agricultural transformation requires more than introducing a new crop or technology. It requires sustained investment in research, experimentation, conservation, knowledge transfer, and systems that allow innovations to reach farmers at scale.

The experience at Rubona showed how this long-term investment can contribute to higher productivity, greater resilience, and scalable solutions for farmers.

Advancing research and development of Bambara groundnut

The Society of Underutilised Legumes (SUL) at IITA, in collaboration with the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) at Rubona/Huye, is advancing research and development of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) as a nutritious, climate-resilient, and locally adaptable crop for Rwanda and the wider East African region. 

The collaboration has included field trials involving Bambara groundnut alongside African yam bean and winged bean, working with researchers from RAB and the University of Rwanda to evaluate their potential under local conditions and explore opportunities related to food and nutrition security, climate resilience, food safety, and future value-added applications.

 

Livestock Innovation Meets Living Heritage

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The journey continued at Songa RAB Station,

where agricultural innovation took on a different dimension through livestock.

Participants discovered modern approaches to livestock breeding and semen collection, gaining insight into how reproductive technologies and improved genetics can contribute to greater livestock productivity.

At the same time, the station offered an

encounter with an important part of Rwanda’s cultural heritage: the iconic Inyambo royal cattle.

The contrast — and connection — between advanced breeding technologies and these culturally significant cattle provided a powerful illustration of how innovation and heritage can coexist. Rwanda’s livestock sector is not only about improving production; it is also about preserving and valuing traditions that form part of the country’s identity.

The Inyambo therefore represented more than

a livestock breed. They offered a living connection between Rwanda’s past and its agricultural future.

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Learning Through Experience

For the AFS Kigali delegation, the field visit was an opportunity to see agricultural research not as an abstract scientific process, but as a living ecosystem involving researchers, genetic resources, technologies, farmers, institutions, and cultural heritage.