Japan and Rwanda sign a 1.54 Billion Japanese Yen Grant Aid for the Project for Development of Irrigation Scheme in Ngoma District (August 8, 2014)
(Left: Signing of the Exchange of Notes, Right: Ambassador Ogawa and Minister Gatete after signing)
(Conceptual Drawing of the Project)
(Provided by JICA)
Japan and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning signed a 1.54 Billion Japanese Yen (about 15.3 Million USD) Grant Aid for the Project for Development of Irrigation Scheme in Ngoma District to promote the Government of Rwanda's efforts to increase agriculture productivity on 8th August.
This Grant Aid is aiming at helping to improve and stabilize agriculture productivity in Ngoma District through such activities as the construction of a water reservoir, irrigation facilities pump stations, and a solar power generation unit that will provide electricity to the water pumps to pump up water to the hillside water canal that will be constructed. It also consists of soft components including establishment and strengthening of Water Users Organizations (WUOs) and support the management and maintenance of the irrigation facilities.
H.E. Mr. Kazuya Ogawa, Ambassador of Japan, said that, upon completion of the project, agricultural water would be provided to 300 hectares of farmland (265 hectares of upland fields and 35 hectares of paddy fields) and will be contribute to improve productivity of agriculture. He also insisted that this project is aiming at helping Rwanda to mitigate and adapt the potential effects of climate change such as change in the pattern of rainfall.
Hon. Claver Gatete, Minister of Finance and Economic Plannning, expressed his gratitude to the Government of Japan for its support and mentioned that this support is in line with the Second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy and the country’s efforts to develop agriculture sector, which is one of the main drivers of Rwanda’s economic development and poverty reduction.
In addition to this irrigation project, in agriculture sector, Japan has dispatched an irrigation advisor to MINAGRI since 2011 and started a technical assistance project entitled “Smallholder market oriented agriculture project” which is designed to improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers through various activities.