Minister Mukeshimana signs MOU with the Netherlands

Minister Gerardine Mukeshimana of the Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources and Minister Sharon Dijksma of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed this morning a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation in plant variety protection and breeders’ rights at the No More Food To Waste Conference in The Hague.

Memorandum of Understanding

The Rwanda government wants to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection, with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants, for the benefit of further development and economic growth of the Rwanda agricultural sector, specifically the potato sector and the seed sector.

The Netherlands has a strong interest in sharing knowledge through private companies and science institutes for the benefit of the agricultural sector. Both governments acknowledge the importance of an effective system in order to improve the agricultural sector of Rwanda as well as to further develop the investment opportunities for foreign companies.

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Agriculture Mission

Minister Mukeshimana was in the Netherlands from 16 to 19 June to intensify the economic relations between Rwanda and the Netherlands on developing the agriculture sector through extending business to business contacts and to discuss the Dutch institutional framework on agricultural policies, research and good agricultural practices.

The Minister started with No More Food To Waste Conference and participated in a panel discussion deliberation on food loss, waste and opportunities for action. Furthermore, she attended a Horticulture Platform meeting with the Rwanda trade delegation where an update was given on the SMART Project in Rwanda. This is a smart greenhouse technology specially developed for Rwanda by a consortium of Dutch and Rwandan private sector companies and research institutes, which will result in increased quality and production of vegetables and a stronger market position.

The Minister continued her mission together with Ambassador George William Kayonga (CEO of the National Agricultural Export Development Board), Mr Robert Kayinamura (First Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the Netherlands) and Mrs Teddie Muffels (Agricultural Counsellor at the Dutch Embassy in Rwanda).

The delegation visited Bosman Van Zaal that is one of the private companies in the SMART Project and specialized in the production of conditioned facilities for vegetable and floriculture production worldwide. Furthermore, the delegation visited Olij Roses (a specialist in growing and propagation of roses) and a dairy farm of the Vollering Brothers, which is a good example of modern farming with four strategy points; animal welfare, cows in the pasture, labour efficiency and energy neutral.