THE EFFECT OF CROP INTENSIFICATION PROGRAM ON SOCIO- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RWANDA A CASE STUDY OF AGRICULTURE IN KAMONYI DISTRICT (2008-2023)

Abstract

The title of this work is “The effect of Crop Intensification Program on socio- economic development in Rwanda: a case study of agriculture in Kamonyi District (2008 - 2023)”. The specific objective of the study was to examine (1) the impact of the program on agricultural productivity in Kamonyi District, (2) to determine the effect of the program on income generation for the farmers in Kamonyi District (3) to examine the link between the program and household food security in Kamonyi District and (4) to determine the level of socio-economic development in Kamonyi District due to Crop Intensification Program (CIP). A descriptive and correlational research design has been adopted. Questionnaires, interview and documentation have been used as techniques of collecting data whereby the 100 respondents form Kamonyi District and staff have been given questionnaires, the agricultural cooperatives presidents, stakeholders in agriculture sector, and a staff in charge of agriculture development at Cell, Sector and at District level in Kamonyi District have been interviewed. All data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. The study hypotheses have been accepted due to the values of coefficient of correlation (r), value of probability (P-Value) and linear plot information. The findings indicated that the independent variables (agricultural productivity, income generation and households’ food security) together cause variation in dependent variable at 95.6% as it was indicated by the values of R-Squared. Through analysis of variance (ANOVA) method, the study revealed agricultural productivity, income generation and households’ food security positively and significantly influence socio-economic development within people in Kamonyi District. The study hypotheses verification implied the achievement of the study objectives. The study recommended the government of Rwanda through Kamonyi District to improve farmers' access to markets by establishing market information systems, supporting farmer cooperatives, and fostering partnerships with buyers and retailers, to encourage the establishment of processing and value addition facilities to enable farmers to add value to their agricultural products and to provide comprehensive training programs on advanced farming techniques, sustainable practices, and market-oriented skills.