Promacnuts Ltd

Overview

The PROMACNUTS Ltd is a private company in horticulture, specializing in production of high quality macadamia related products in Rwanda. Founded in 2019, PROMACNUTS Ltd established a Tree Nursery Bed for macadamia grafted seedlings to supply farmers with seedlings of high quality so as to increase production of macadamia nuts needed for a planned processing industry. The company also provides services and train farmers good agriculture practices. Since inception, PROMACNUTS has supplied 160 farmers with grafted seedlings from its nursery bed located in Shengampuli Cell, Masoro Sector, Rulindo District for contribution growth of macadamia farming in Rwanda. Macadamia nut is high value agricultural product with a farm-gate price of $2 per kilogram and has potential to create jobs and increase household incomes.

Macadamia Nursery Bed Project

In 2019, the company has received a grant of 22,500,000 Frw from BDF/NAEB/PRICE Project in order to boost macadamia farming in Rwanda. Mr. Stanley NSABIMANA the CEO of PROMACNUTS approached BDF for funds to expand production of grafted seedlings to meet the growing demand. BDF provides that amount, the investor matched with a similar amount to put together 45,000,000Frw investment in Macadamia Nursery Bed. BDF also participated in the development of a Business Plan.

Investment

PROMACNUTS invested the funds in the construction of a dam that traps runoff water for watering seedlings, build five tree nurseries sheds and purchased a truck for delivering seedlings to farmers.

Monitoring and Evaluation of the project

The Company has selected the macadamia species based on the community needs. The type selected in close collaboration with NAEB is macadamia integrifolia. PROMACNUTS CEO and Field Coordinator have executed field visits to Macadamia Nursery Bed on monthly basis for advising tree nursery bed personnel and making demonstration of grafting practices, spraying pesticides, manure inputs and other necessary materials. The Sector forest officer and District agronomist in collaboration with PROMACNUTS CEO and Field Coordinator have visited the macadamia nursery beds throughout the project implementation for advising the personnel on how to well maintain the macadamia nursery. Their advice has helped in good performance.

At the maturity of grafted macadamia seedlings, PROMACNUTS field coordinator, Sector forest officer had visited the Macadamia Nursery Bed to distribute seedlings in order to plant them on time and personnel were given templates to record beneficiaries. The management team has agreed to watering of seedlings in early morning hours and late evening hours to keep the seedbeds moist but not wet has been done. The personnel has been given a reporting format to give monthly report to PROMACNUTS field coordinator.

Regular weeding was done to reduce weeds which may compete with seedlings on soil nutrients thus rending the seedlings stunted, Macadamia Nursery Bed manager recognize that most of the micro-organisms, insects and pests that cause diseases in the nursery live in weeds, trash and puddles. The distribution and planting of seedlings started in October 2020. The opening day of seedlings distribution took place at Buliza Golden Nurseries. Most of seedlings were distributed at cost of 4USD. Below are some photos illustrating how the monitoring and evaluation has been conducted.

Impact for the farmers

BDF funding enabled the company to increase production from 10,000 to over 25,000 grafted seedlings annually. This has increased availability of seedlings to farmers with 160 farmers already supplied. Some farmers expected to start harvesting in 2024. This will provide households incomes at a price of $2(2,100Frw) per kg.

Quantity of grafted seedlings allocated to farmers
District	Sector	Cell	Village	No of planted macad. seedlings
Rulindo	Cyinzuzi	Budakiranya	Gihinga	500
Kayonza	Murundi	Buhabwa	Buhabwa	400
Bugesera	Gashora	Ramiro	Kagasa	350
Bugesera	Rilima	Nyabagendwa	Cyomo	350
Rwamagana	Nzige	Akantu	Rugunga	350
Kayonza	Murundi	Buhabwa	Buhabwa	200
Rwamagana	Musha	Musha	Nyakiriba	250
Rulindo	Ntarabana	Kajebuba	Cyamutara	700
Ngororero	Ngororero	Rusasa	Gasarara	100
Ngoma	Zaza	Ruhembe	Makoma	305
Gasabo	Nduba	Muremure	Gatobotobo	100
Gasabo	Kanyinya	Kagugu	Gicikiza	200
Bugesera	Kamabuye	Kamabuye	Ngeruka	540
Rulindo	Ntarabana	Mahaza	Burambi	40
Kamonyi	Runda	Rugazi	Rugazi	50
Rwamagana	Fumbwe	Nyagasambu	Jajangiro	104
Ruhango	Divers	Divers	Divers	6,100
Gisagara	Green Amayaga Project			11,000
Kamonyi				16,300
Ruhango				12,500
TOTAL				50,439

The company has also been able to create jobs-increasing the number of workers from 10 to 60. The employees are assured of regular income and are able to pay for their domestic needs such as health insurance, school fees for children, food, clothes, etc.