The Rwanda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (FAAS-R) was endorsed by stakeholders in July, 2012 as the national stakeholders’ forum in Rwanda and affiliated to the Africa Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) which is an umbrella network organisation for Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) in Africa.
FAAS-R is an umbrella organization of agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) providers, actors and stakeholders in Rwanda. The vision of FAAS-R is “to fundamentally transform Rwandan Agricultural extension and advisory services into an effectively and efficiently source of learning and knowledge sharing”. The key mandates of the forum as to advise the MINAGRI and Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) on agricultural extension and advisory services activities and actively be involved in agricultural extension policies’ dialogue on Agricultural Extension, to address gaps in AAS implementation, private sector engagement, monitoring and evaluation, quality control, and advocacy. It should also act as a link between research and extension especially between public and private AEAS providers.
The FAAS-R objectives include:
- To coordinate the effective learning, through agricultural information, technologies and innovations networks,
- To coordinate the development and transformation of Agricultural Advisory Service (AAS) in the Country,
- To reflect and learn on how to effectively and efficiently improve Rwanda AAS provision within an agricultural advisory system,
- To act as the country CAADP (pillar IV) implementing organ in linking with Rwanda AAS stakeholders, and ensuring the key role of private sector engagement,
- To actively be involved in curriculum development and/or adjustment of agricultural academic institution,
- To coordinate and organize the agricultural learning routes for effective and efficient communication, knowledge sharing within and outside the country.
Currently the forum has the following members: Private sector (National Cooperative confederation Rwanda –NCCR, chamber of agriculture and industry and journalist in agriculture), based on the key commodities, and farmers organization (26) Government institutions (MINAGRI, Rwanda Agricultural Board, National Agriculture Export Board), Rwanda cooperative Agency (12).
The immediate activities/action plan include:
- Share the concept and documents with our Agricultural sector working group and CF members;
- Recreate interest in CF: Reporting back to them this meeting;
- Lobby and advocate to elaborate agricultural extension policy and be imbedded in the general Agricultural policy;
- Organize seminar/workshop for shared vision/needs to have an elaborated Agricultural extension policy;
- Review the ministry of Agriculture sector knowledge management and communication strategy.
Contact Persons: CF chairman DG Planning: Rurangwa Raphael, rrurangwa@minagri.gov.rw
Tel: +250788301498.
CF Focal Person CICA/ MINAGRI: Mary Rucibigango, mrucibigango@minagri.gov.rw,
Tel: +250788300037.