Officials at Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture say Rwanda is losing nearly 27 million tons of fertile topsoil annually due to erosion, causing major economic losses and threatening future agricultural productivity.
Jean Claude Kayisinga, Director of Development at RICA, said one of the main reasons the university was established in 2019 was to address soil degradation and promote sustainable farming methods.
“As we continue farming, soil is being washed away by erosion. We want to help farmers practice conservation agriculture so the land can also support future generations,” he said.
Kayisinga revealed that soil degradation costs Rwanda an estimated Rwf 810 billion every year.
RICA has signed a four-year partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture to expand conservation farming practices across the country.
Students at the institution say the training they receive will help them transform farming methods in their communities and reduce losses caused by erosion and drought.
