In Rwanda, the common bean Phaseolus vulgaris top the current list of priority crops of the Ministry of Agriculture. They are grown by 97% of farmers and supply 65% of the dietary protein requirements to rural and urban populations. In the recent past, the market-driven bean breeding and promotion of bean-based technologies initiated by the bean network ECABREN (Eastern and Central Africa Bean Research Network) and its partner CIAT in the region is bearing fruit. The adoption rate of improved climbing bean varieties in Rwanda is estimated at 95% and the impact of released climbing beans by the Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda (ISAR) has been quite impressive.

For decades, Bizimana, a farmer from Byumba province in Northern Rwanda, dreamt of a better life for himself and his family of seven. Byumba province is endowed with fertile and productive soils but each household holds only less than a half hectare on average. Most farmers in Rwanda rent additional agricultural land in order to produce enough to eat and to meet their other needs.

Bizimana's prayers were partly answered after he was identified by ISAR as a potential lead partner farmer in participatory variety selection and dissemination of improved bean varieties project. This initiative was the result of collaboration between ECABREN and ISAR Bean Research and the National Seed Services (SNS) for field inspectorate and seed certification work and an FAO programme in Rwanda for the crucial link to farmer producers and urban consumer markets.

After a couple of seasons' involvement in the project, Bizimana chose to grow a new navy bean variety CAB 2, selected at ISAR and locally called Nyiramata (which means valuable as milk). He also grew a yellow-seeded cultivar, G2331 (Mamesa) cultivated regionally. These two varieties have become popular among farmers and consumers because of their high productivity (from 3 to 4.5 ton per hectare), fast cooking time, taste and good canning quality.

"Each season, I plant about one hectare. I invite SNS officials for field inspection and seed certification. I sell all the stock, about 2 to 3 tons of certified seed to the FAO programme, NGOs and other farmers at a premium price of 250-300 FRW/Kg (about 0.5 USD). The seed is resold or loaned to more farmers in Byumba and also neighbouring provinces of Ruhengeri and Gisenyi. Residual grain is consumed or sold for food in town markets, hotels, schools and prisons. Every grain is valuable", says Bizimana.

Asked if there are other benefits, he said: "they are plenty". Through sales of bean seeds, Bizimana was able to build himself a brick 3-bedroom house. He also bought land equivalent to FRW 500,000 (USD1000) and two hybrid heifers. He is now able to pay secondary school fees for his two children. "Once the heifer calves, I anticipate additional good income from surplus milk sales to the tune of 2000 FRW (about 3 USD) daily", he adds.

Mr. Bizimana has entered into a health insurance scheme for his family and has managed to build anti-erosion contour bands on his newly acquired land, which he hopes to use for further investments into the bean seed enterprise, besides food and pasture production. He has found out that the seed business can be profitable. Besides his personal gains through the bean seed business, Bizimana's collaborative activities with ISAR has benefited thousands of farmers in Rwanda through access to improved marketable climbing bean varieties and is inspiring other farmers to venture into similar activities.

PABRA, Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute, P.O. Box 6247, Kampala, Uganda
Tel +256-414-567670, fax +256-414-567635, email r.buruchara@cgiar.org

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