- The Rwandan government is looking for investors to lease land in the Gabiro agribusiness hub project—located in Nyagatare and Gatsibo district.
- The proposals are invited by the Ministry of Agriculture for developing at least 15,600 hectares under the two-phased project.
The Rwandan government is looking for investors to lease land in the Gabiro agribusiness hub project—located in Nyagatare and Gatsibo district. The proposals are invited by the Ministry of Agriculture for developing at least 15,600 hectares under the two-phased project.
In the first Phase, 4,000ha out of the total 5,600ha shall be allocated to commercial farming and will be leased to members of the private sector for a minimum tenure of 49 years (renewable).The remaining land will be allocated to the community for their own farming activities. According to Hanson Micomyiza, the Managing Director at Gabiro Agribusiness Hub Ltd, the phase one of the project (comprising 5,600 ha) will be ready for use by the end of this fiscal year, adding that the winning bidders would start using the allotted land also by the end of this year. The phase two consisting of about 10,000ha will be developed at a later stage.
 The project was conceived jointly by the Government of Rwanda and Netafim – a global leader in irrigation to boost farm productivity for local consumption, and to cater to the export market. Rwandan products have good market opportunities in overseas markets such as Dubai  for avocados and Europe for French beans.
The objectives of the project include developing an advanced agricultural ecosystem, modern value chain with advanced water infrastructure, innovative irrigation systems, high-value agro-processing operations, and other agrotech activities across the value chain.
The lease fee is $375 (about Rwf3750,000) per hectare annually, with  a provision for a 2 per cent annual increment from the third year. The water fee is fixed at $19c per cubic metre (m3) used. The Ministry also has specific guidelines to be followed by the bidders while preparing the bidding documents.
