30% onion losses push Rwanda to expand post-harvest storage

By The Inspirer.

Rwanda is expanding post-harvest storage facilities for onions as farmers lose a significant share of their crop to spoilage and are often forced to sell at very low prices when markets are flooded.

About 30% of onion production is estimated to be lost, according to agricultural experts, highlighting the need for better storage and handling facilities.

Onions are widely grown in parts of Western and Northern provinces, including Rubavu, Nyabihu and Musanze. The crop is an important source of income for farmers and is also consumed locally and exported.

Pacifique Nshimiyimana, a plant science expert at Alliance for Science Rwanda, said it was unfortunate that such a large share of onion production was being lost.

The losses are particularly painful for farmers who invest heavily in production but have limited options once the harvest reaches the market.

Yvonne Nyirambanjinka, an onion farmer in Rubavu District, said prices often fall sharply when farmers harvest at the same time and storage facilities are unavailable.

At times, farmers leave part of their produce in the field because the market cannot absorb it at a profitable price, she said.

To address the problem, the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) is developing post-harvest facilities designed to protect onions from moisture, heat and spoilage.

One of the facilities is being developed in Kanzenze Sector, Rubavu District, with a capacity of 34.4 tonnes. Farmers will deliver produce to the facility twice a week.

The project is part of a wider $11 million initiative being implemented by Rwanda in partnership with South Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Similar modern vegetable post-harvest facilities are being developed in Rulindo, Nyagatare and Bugesera.

The project is expected to benefit more than 5,000 farmers in Rubavu, Rulindo, Nyagatare and Bugesera by reducing losses and improving farmers’ access to markets.

For farmers organised under KOBATU, or Koperative Bazizane Tuzirate, the investment could help end the cycle of producing at a high cost only to sell at a loss.

Nicodème Sebera, the cooperative’s president, said farmers sometimes borrow money to produce onions but end up losing money when prices collapse.

“We used to grow onions, but the market could not absorb all the produce. Some onions would remain in fields and eventually rot,” Sebera said.

He said producing one kilogramme of onions can cost about Rwf350, while prices can sometimes fall to around Rwf100 per kilogramme.

In a good season, however, KOBATU can earn up to Rwf18 million from onion farming.

Sebera said storage would allow farmers to keep their onions instead of rushing to sell when prices are low.

The facilities are expected to allow onions to be stored for up to six months, giving farmers more time to wait for favourable market conditions.

Aimable Rusingizandekwe, who oversees NAEB’s Smart Food Value Chain Management project, said the programme also includes training for farmers, exporters and workers operating the facilities.

The project covers both onion and chilli value chains and aims to improve production, processing, storage and marketing.

The facilities are expected to handle 3,650 tonnes of onions and 1,168 tonnes of chilli annually.

NAEB says better drying, storage and processing could also help Rwanda increase the volume of horticultural produce reaching domestic and export markets.

Between 2020/21 and 2025/26, Rwanda exported about 40,900 tonnes of onions, generating roughly $23 million in foreign exchange.

The government hopes that reducing post-harvest losses will allow farmers to retain more of what they produce while strengthening Rwanda’s position in regional and international horticultural markets.

Taarifa Rwanda