
Growing Irish potatoes in Bugeshi Sector, Rubavu District, Western province
Location: Bugeshi Sector, Rubavu Distric, Western province
Activity: Growing Irish potatoes
Previous loan amount: 1,500,000 paid infive months (Bullet payment)
Current loan amount: 2,000,000 to be paid after 5 months (Bullet payment)
Sylvestre SIBOMANA is a 28 year old farmer. He lives with his wife and their two children. He grows potatoes for his family consumption and for market. He got a loan in order to buy “Kinigi” potato seeds and pay labour costs. These seeds are considered the best on market where he lives. He plans to harvest between 9,000 Kg and 13,500 Kg in just four months that he will immediately sell. The expected selling price for potatoes ranges between RWF 300-350/Kg depending on the season.
Impact:
In order to pay his loans, he expanded the land on which he grows potatoes from one hectare to three hectares.
He now multiplies potato seeds then sells to others. He currently employs 10 people and one is a family member.
When he got his current loan, he employed another 10 people from his neighborhood. This is his second loan after starting the seed multiplication business with his first loan. He plans to build a store for the potato seeds.