With 80% of Rwanda’s working population involved in the agricultural sector, agricultural support is one of the best means of fostering a more prosperous nation. The goal of the project in Rwanda is to grow five varieties of flowers on 70 hectares and achieve annual sales of $11 million over the next five years. The hope is that this will help to enrich the working community.
Toyota is a co-investor in Bloom Hills Rwanda Ltd., a company set up to develop seeds and seedlings, cultivation techniques and the necessary logistics. We are also investing in some of the technologies used to support the Rwandan floriculture industry, such as solar energy, geothermal power and rain harvesting.
Sub-Saharan Africa has many hurdles to overcome, including agricultural productivity rates that are among the lowest in the world. Due to insufficiencies in fertilizer supply, irrigation, and the agricultural machinery available, as well as the underdeveloped status of cultivation technology, the region’s average grain yield is less than half the global average.
In terms of competitiveness, agricultural Rwanda is still at a sore disadvantage. But on the bright side, Rwanda has achieved a level of growth that has earned it the label “the Miracle of Africa” in recent years. And the country’s national government has announced ambitious plans for growth and diversification, including a tenfold increase in earnings from the horticulture sector by 2018. Toyota intends to play its part in further building up the Rwandan agriculture sector.
Most definitely. Together with Bloom Hills Rwanda Ltd., and with the cooperation of Mizuho Information and Research Institute, Hachimantai City, and Iwate University, this floriculture venture is finally beginning to blossom!