The training focused on using technology to monitor and improve the coffee value chain through a system called the Digital Farm Extension Monitoring System (DFEMS).
TechnoServe, a long-time partner in Rwanda's coffee sector for over 15 years, developed the technology in collaboration with BK TechHouse, which implemented the project aimed at enhancing coffee farming by collecting, storing, and quickly disseminating data to the relevant stakeholders.
Sildio Mbonyumuhire, TechnoServe's Global Technology Lead, explained that the technology helps farmers track their farming activities and apply what they've learned about improving coffee quality.
He said, "In the 50 coffee washing stations we tested with, we saw positive results. The agronomist at the station uses the technology to track farmers in the zone they work in, learn where their farms are, and understand how they are implementing the advice they've received."
Mbonyumuhire said that that this technology helps uplift farmers with weaker performance, leading to increased productivity in both quantity and quality.
The system requires tools such as tablets, computers, and low-cost mobile phones using the USSD technology, easy to use for many farmers who are not familiar with advanced tech.
"For low-income farmers, using a basic mobile phone, they can perform simple tasks like confirming receipt of fertilizers or seeds," he added.
Marcel Abimana, the district officer from Gatsibo, where coffee is grown on 5.2 hectares, producing 12.5 tons per hectare, noted that this technology eases their work. It helps them connect farmers' information to their yield securely.
He said, 'In the past, when someone visited a farmer and wrote information down, it could get lost or damaged. Now, all the data shared during farmer discussions will instantly reach the intended recipients.'
Abimana believes that this initiative will improve coffee quality and boost productivity, making the entire coffee value chain more efficient starting with the farmer.
Dr. Olivier Kamana, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), who concluded the training, emphasized that Rwanda's coffee has become a symbol of national pride.
He urged all those involved in coffee farming to keep improving its quality, noting that the government continues to support this effort.
He praised TechnoServe's contributions to Rwanda's development, especially in coffee farming from planting to market preparation.
'TechnoServe started by helping us build coffee farmer cooperatives, and now they've introduced technology that helps us reach farmers more effectively, eliminating the strain on agronomists. It also helps secure all the data, including what an agronomist would normally discuss with a farmer, reducing the chance of forgetting crucial information. More so, national data base will be promptly updated,' he said.
One of the successes in Rwanda's coffee farming is that at least 82% of Rwandan coffee reaches the market well-processed, adding value on international markets. This has been achieved through close partnership between TechnoServe and NAEB.
Rwanda's coffee sector generated $112 million in revenue in 2022, benefiting over 400,000 households across the country.
The DFEMS technology was implemented as part of the 'Rwanda Ikawa Nziza Project' that started in January 2021 and will end in January 2025.
TechnoServe has also integrated the DFEMS system into the government's existing Smart Kungahara System (SKS) to ensure the technology reaches all districts in Rwanda even after the project ends, while continuing to expand and improve.
In addition to the technology, the project has been instrumental in distributing high-quality coffee seeds, with at least two million seeds provided in six districts; Gisagara, Huye, Nyamagabe, Rusizi, Nyamasheke, and Karongi.
IGIHE
