Rwanda and the European Union on August 4 signed a 40 million euro (about 67 billion Rwandan francs) financing agreement to support the country’s transition to a modern, inclusive and climate-resilient agriculture sector.
The five-year programme, dubbed HANGARIBIHE: Transformational Climate-Smart and Inclusive Agriculture in Rwanda, will provide 36 million euros in budget support for agriculture and environmental priorities, alongside 4 million euros for technical assistance, capacity building and related studies.
The funding will support the implementation of Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST-2), the Fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA-5) and key environmental initiatives. It will focus on expanding irrigation, promoting sustainable land management, strengthening climate resilience, restoring degraded ecosystems and improving climate information systems.
Rwandan Finance Minister Yusuf Murangwa said the agreement would drive inclusive agricultural growth for smallholder farmers, cooperatives, women, young people and small businesses, while EU Ambassador Belén Calvo Uyarra described the programme as another milestone in the long-standing partnership between Rwanda and the European Union.