Sugar: Make it Work awarded with the Public-Private-Partnership Award 2014

The Public Private Partnership (PPP) project ‘Sugar: Make it Work’ consists of Royal Haskoning DHV, TechForce Innovations, Kabuye Sugar Works, Milan Innovincy, Karisimbi Business Partners, Wageningen University (Department of Environmental Sciences), Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek (Centre for Development Innovation), Stichting BiD Network, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of the Republic of Rwanda and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands within the Faculty for Sustainability Entrepreneurship and Food Security.

The “Sugar: Make it Work” PPP is making critical investments in water management infrastructure in order to reduce flooding so that KSW and outgrower farmers can make the most of available marshland. Within the next decade, through improved water management and the introduction of remote sensing technology, local production of sugar should nearly double. This could lead to an increase in outgrower and KSW estate employment by approximately 41%, as well as add new highly skilled agro-IT service jobs in the sugar cane sector. With improved capacity to track and monitor crops, KSW and outgrower farmers will be in a better position to predict sugar cane yields, respond to disease outbreaks and optimize the harvesting and transport of crops. Additionally, the project will increase technical and business training for outgrower farmers, improving their participation in the value chain. Without doubt, the development of Rwanda’s service sector will define its path towards greater economic, social and political development.