The celebrations to mark the day were held virtually, with participants at the event delivering their messages through radio and television via live broadcasting on the country’s public broadcaster, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), and live streamed online via social media.

The event was marked under the global theme of “Grow, nourish, sustain together”, with a Kinyarwanda translation of “Duhinge, Twihaze, mu iterambere rirambye”, as the national theme.

Speaking at the event, Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Gerardine Mukeshimana, upheld a vote of thanks to all farmers in the country and all stakeholders in the sector for their sustained efforts to keep food on everyone’s table, even as the country and the entire world still struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the occasion, the Enabel PRISM project, whose intention is to promote inclusive and sustainable value chain development in the pig and poultry sector in Rwanda, was officially launched.

The project is mainly made up of two interventions; with the first intervention aiming to develop inclusive and sustainable feeds, pig, and poultry value chains in which all actors run a profitable business while the second intervention aims to attract private investment to develop a modern industrialised value chain to produce high quality meat products and eggs to substitute import and to increase export.

The project will contribute to jobs creation, private sector development and food security and is aligned with Rwanda’s fourth Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PSTA-4) that runs from 2018 to 2024.

PSTA-4 is a plan focused on the transformation of agriculture from a subsistence sector to a knowledge-based value creating sector that contributes to the national economy and ensures food and nutrition security.

World Food Day is celebrated globally each year on 16th October, but each country is free to opt for a convenient date between 16th October and 30th October for national celebrations.

                                                           =END=