Department overview
Department of Crop Research and Technology Transfer is responsible for coordination, monitoring and implementation of Government policy related to Crop research and Technology Transfer through its programs and stations. It is responsible for increasing production of both Food and industrial crops through input use, adoption of Good Agriculture Practices and innovative Research and Technology Transfer to the farming community.
Department does annual planning and budgeting of activities for the season implementation and also monitors the seasonal implementation through the 13 RAB stations based in different regions of the Country.
Department of Crop Research and Technology Transfer is responsible for all Extension services delivery all over the Country and it operates this through Twigire Muhinzi Extension Model where FFS facilitators and Farmer Promotors are pillars for technology transfer to farmers. It is responsible for compilation of seasonal progress reports from Districts and report to RAB Management through Deputy Director General in charge of Crop Research and Technology Transfer.
Development of extension materials and Training of farmers on good Agricultural Practices is also in the mandate of this Department.
Mr. IZAMUHAYE Jean Claude
Head of Crop Research & Technology Transfer Department
Email: izamuhaye.jeanclaude@rab.gov.rw
Tel: 0783738830
Bio:
1. Cereals
2. Pulse & Oils
This program is missioned to develop & disseminate appropriate productivity varieties enhancing user acceptable & market demanded innovations by farmers and other value chain actors and stakeholders. In the last 25 years, the program development, releases and disseminated more than 30 bush, climbing beans and soy bean varieties. The program also endeavours to build capacity of farmers, seed producers, produce aggregators, seed multipliers, traders, processors and exporters in the commodities & food value chain though training, partnerships & alliances developments. The program activities are spread across the low, mid & high altitude Agro-ecologies in Rwanda.
3. Roots & Tubers
Roots and tubers program focuses mainly on carrying out research and technology transfer on cassava, Irish potatoes and Sweet potatoes. However, the program plans to initiate research on taro, yams and yam bean. Program activities are concentrated in 6 scopes; 1. Development of new crop varieties, 2. Development of new pest and diseases control approaches, 3. Development of good crop husbandry approaches, 4. Production of earlier generation seeds, 5. Post harvest yield handling and 6. Upgrade knowledge and skills of all stakeholders in value chain of roots and tubers production.
4. Banana
The overall responsibilities of Banana program is to provide technical support along banana value chain, improve varieties with high yielding, disease, soil and climate resistant and production of palatable varieties. The program also gives advice to banana value chain processors on variety quality and participate in development of extension materials.
5. Horticulture
Horticulture Program is missioned to develop and disseminate appropriate technologies of high potential productivity for Horticulture crops and its goal is to increase food security and diversify income opportunities through collaborative schemes of introduction, evaluation and distribution of improved varieties of horticultural crops associated with developed technologies
6. Industrial crops
Industrial crop program is responsible for developing and disseminating varieties of Coffee and Tea with high, good cup quality attributes and better adaptability to main coffee and Tea growing conditions with resilience to climate change. The program is also responsible for development of extension materials related to coffee and tea and finally train the deliver trainings to related Agronomists.
7. Crop Protection
The Department works in collaboration with other partners in Agriculture development which include One acre Fund/ TUBURA, Hinga Weze, In put supplier companies (Yara, Kenya seed, Western seed , APTC, e.t.c)