Rwanda will hold its 3^rd National Seed Congress in Kigali from 20th to 21^st July 2026, an event that will bring together key stakeholders to discuss partnerships aiming to strengthen Rwanda’s seed sector.

The 3rd Rwanda National Seed Congress 2026 will be held under the theme: “Seeds as a Strategic Engine for National Transformation: Advancing a Competitive, and Private-Sector–Led Seed System for Food Security, Jobs and Trade”.

It is being organised by the National Seed Association of Rwanda (NSAR) in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and the Private Sector Federation (PSF), with support from different development partners and intends to position Rwanda as a key seed industry player in the region and worldwide.

NSAR’s Chairperson, Innocent Namuhoranye, has described the congress as a platform to showcase the role of private sector in Rwanda’s seed ecosystem with the aim of making it resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive.

“With lessons drawn from the 1st and 2nd National Seed Congresses and the collaborative milestones realized this far, the 3rd Rwanda National Seed Congress (RNSC 2026) will once again serve as a high-level global platform to accelerate implementation of this vision and position Rwanda as a regional seed hub,” he said.

The event will once again provide an opportunity to share the status report on relevant industry strategic goals and implementation progress of Rwanda’s seven-year strategic roadmap for seed industry development by 2030.

More than 300 participants from Africa, Europe, America, Asia, and Australia are expected to attend the meeting, including seed industry players from both public and private sectors, academia, scientists, development partners, financiers, and farmers.

Stakeholders in Rwanda’s seed sector have been urged to strengthen certification systems, quality assurance, and regulatory frameworks to help ensure farmers receive quality seeds on time.

Access to improved and high performing seed varieties is essential to increasing agricultural productivity, experts say.

Dr. Patrick Karangwa, the Director General of Agriculture Modernization at Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), has emphasized that quality seeds are the foundation of agricultural transformation.

“We need to strengthen seed systems, increase investment, and build partnerships to enhance Rwanda’s contribution to the global seed industry. Research, innovation, and farmer awareness are essential drivers of agricultural transformation and market competitiveness,” he says.

Held every year, Rwanda’s National Seed Congress has provided a regular platform to look at the progress on implementation of the country’s 7-year strategic roadmap for seed industry development in various areas such as industry compliance and self-regulation, enhancement of the regulatory environment, as well as enhancing mutual accountability and identifying synergies, linkages and complementarities on the achievement of the main goals of the roadmap running up to the year 2030.

For further information about the 3^rd Rwanda National Seed Congress, visit www.nsar.rw, or call +250 788 308 678 or Email to [email protected]

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