Arabfields, Ngab Niyonzima, special correspondent, Dodoma, Tanzania — Rwanda is betting heavily on organic fertiliser to strengthen its agricultural sector, but small producers say the cost of meeting certification requirements could slow the expansion of an industry the government wants to scale up rapidly.

Under the country’s agricultural transformation strategy, annual organic fertiliser production is expected to increase from 8.5 million tonnes in 2024/25 to 9.8 million tonnes in 2025/26. The target rises to 10.3 million tonnes in 2026/27 and 11.4 million tonnes in 2027/28, before reaching 15.2 million tonnes by 2029.

The figures point to a major expansion, but producers warn that achieving it will require more than ambitious production targets. Certification, laboratory testing and field trials remain expensive, particularly for small and emerging businesses.

For entrepreneurs such as Dominique Xavio Imbabazi, founder of Golden Insect Ltd, the financial burden can be substantial. His earthworm-based organic fertiliser business spent about $10,000 on field trials, while the complete certification process cost roughly Rwf20 million.

“Without such a grant, I could not have afforded the S-Mark cost,” Imbabazi said, explaining that the certification expenses represented a major share of the capital available to a small business.

Imbabazi began the certification process in 2022, at a time when clear standards for his type of product were not yet established. He eventually obtained the required S-Mark, allowing his company to market its products more widely.

The certification process is designed to protect farmers and consumers by ensuring that fertilisers meet quality and safety requirements. Joseline Mujawimana, a market inspector at the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority, said certified products are better positioned to gain access to markets while reducing risks associated with poor-quality inputs.

For farmers, the issue is increasingly important as the use of organic fertilisers expands. The proportion of farmers using organic fertilisers increased from 48.2 percent in 2017 to 89.1 percent during Season 2025A, according to figures cited by stakeholders.

The government is also targeting growth in biofertiliser production, with output expected to rise from 2,000 tonnes in 2024/25 to 4,500 tonnes by 2029.

Patrick Karangwa, Director-General of Agriculture Modernisation at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, said quality standards would remain essential as the sector expands. He warned that improperly processed organic material could introduce pests and other agricultural problems rather than improve soil productivity.

Rwanda is not planning to replace chemical fertilisers completely. Officials continue to encourage farmers to combine organic and chemical inputs because organic fertilisers, particularly compost, release nutrients more slowly and may not provide all the nutrients crops need at critical stages of growth.

The challenge now is to make certification easier without weakening those safeguards. Producers are calling for a one-stop system that would bring together institutions involved in certification, agricultural regulation, testing and intellectual property registration.

Laboratory access is another concern. Imbabazi said some testing facilities are not recognised by all regulatory bodies, while accredited laboratories can have long waiting periods. Such delays can prevent small companies from bringing products to market quickly, even when demand exists.

Support programmes are already attempting to close the gap. The Zamukana Ubuziranenge programme provides technical assistance to small and medium-sized businesses seeking to comply with standards, while the Circular Food Systems for Rwanda project is expanding support from 20 companies to 50.

Additional financing could also become easier if businesses can demonstrate compliance. Karangwa said banks and investors are more likely to finance companies when they have evidence that their products meet recognised standards.

If current adoption rates continue and production capacity expands as planned, Rwanda could see organic fertiliser become a much larger part of its agricultural input market over the next three years. Reaching 15.2 million tonnes of annual production by 2029 would require sustained investment in producers, testing facilities, technology and distribution.

The 2026 production target of 10.3 million tonnes represents an important step toward that goal. But the pace of expansion will depend not only on how much fertiliser companies can produce, but also on whether smaller producers can afford to become fully certified.

For businesses like Golden Insect, the difference could determine whether Rwanda’s organic fertiliser industry grows into a broad-based commercial sector or remains concentrated among companies with enough capital to absorb the cost of compliance.