Global Leaders and Experts Gather in Kigali for Push-Pull Farming Workshop

Elias Hakizimana Jul 9, 2024Jul 12, 2024 0 Comments

By Elias Hakizimana

Food for the Hungry Rwanda, in collaboration with the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Board (RAB) and other agricultural stakeholders, hosted a pivotal three-day workshop from July 8th to July 10th, 2024, in Kigali.

The event focused on the transformative potential of push-pull technology to boost agricultural yields in Rwanda. Push-pull technology, developed by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and partners, leverages specific plants to repel pests (push) while attracting them to trap plants (pull).

This innovative method effectively controls pests such as stem borers, fall armyworms, and Striga weeds, all while enhancing soil fertility.

Currently implemented in eight districts of Rwanda, push-pull technology presents a cost-effective, long-term solution for smallholder farms.

Key discussions and outcomes from the workshop included an in-depth examination of how push-pull technology can be adapted to different ecological zones in Rwanda. Open forums allowed Rwandan farmers to share their success stories and the benefits they have experienced using push-pull technology.

Attendees identified challenges such as the initial efforts required to establish push-pull systems and the need for ongoing training, proposing solutions like subsidies and improved extension services. The workshop also reviewed the expansion of push-pull technology from individual farms to larger landscapes over the past four years, with plans to further scale the project.

The workshop attracted prominent figures including Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye, Director General of RAB, and global leaders from the UPSCALE project. Notable attendees included PhD holders, scientists, directors, professors from Maseno University and Lund University, Food for the Hungry Rwanda’s Country Director and staff, as well as representatives from Kenya, Uganda, and local farmers who shared their insights.

Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye emphasized the importance of practical efforts to continually improve agricultural productivity.

***Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye, Director General of RAB, highlighted the need for practical efforts to continually improve agricultural productivity.***

“We need to mobilize and train more farmers on the feasibility of this method, ensuring that conservation agriculture and organic matter integration can significantly enhance our agricultural intensification model,” he stated.

Xavier Nemeyimana, a farmer from Gatsibo district, praised push-pull technology for its ability to control pests and enhance yields without chemical pesticides.

“Push-pull has helped me increase my crop yield and improve soil fertility. I no longer spend money on pesticides, and my crops are of higher quality,” he shared.

Alice Kamau, Country Director of Food for the Hungry Rwanda, highlighted the sustainability of the model, noting that push-pull farming has become a farmer-driven initiative.

“Farmers themselves are committed to applying the model by learning from each other,” she said.

Workshop highlights

Workshop highlights included field visits and demonstrations of push-pull technology, training sessions for farmers, policy and advocacy dialogues for its adoption, and collaborative research initiatives to enhance and expand the technology’s applicability beyond maize to other crops.

The UPSCALE project, funded by the European Union, aims to extend the benefits of push-pull technology from individual fields to larger landscapes, covering various crops and cultivation systems.

Launched in November 2021, UPSCALE is a collaborative effort involving European and African partners, implemented in Rwanda by Food for the Hungry Rwanda and RAB.

The project focuses on creating synergies with other sustainable intensification initiatives and facilitating knowledge exchange through Multi-Actor Communities (MAC).

Emily Pepperberg, UPSCALE project coordinator and professor of Animal Ecology from the University of Giessen in Germany, emphasized the project’s focus on training farmers through demonstration plots.

She highlighted that the push-pull farming model can be successfully applied to vegetables and various crops beyond maize for pest control, proving effective in Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya.