PREFACE

By Carel Jaspers MSc, Director Q-Point and Project Director NICHE-RWA-185

This newsletter gives you the final update on the NICHE-RWA-185 project that was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by Nuffic. In this project Q-Point acted as the lead partner, project partners were HAS Hogeschool, Delphy, University of Pretoria and Egerton University.

IMPLEMENTATION

With the transfer of the greenhouse, the potato storage and the lab facilities to UR-CAVM (University of Rwanda, College of Agriculture, Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine), all project activities have been implemented, with the exception of the PhD students, who will graduate from Egerton University in Kenya in December 2020.

During the project period, many staff members of UR-CAVM were trained in Irish potato production, value chain management, GLOBALG.A.P. and leadership and team building.

POTATO HANDBOOK AND POTATO COURSE

With the availability of a specialist Irish potato course and the publication of a Potato Handbook, UR-CAVM staff will be able to use their knowledge, skill and training facilities to train students, farmers and other relevant stakeholders in all aspects of potato production.

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

With the capacity building in the project, UR-CAVM is now one of the Centres of Excellence in Irish potato in the region. We trust that the link to the Nuffic SEAD project is successful and that the facilities will be integrated into the potato STIC.

More information on this project you will find with this link: NICHE-RWA-185 sustainable potato value chain Rwanda

More information on UR-CAVM: https://www.cavm.ur.ac.rw/