Rwanda adopts AI and satellites to advance precision agriculture

Rwanda is stepping into the future of farming with the integration of machine learning and satellite imagery to modernise its agriculture sector

The government’s latest push aims to increase efficiency, profitability, and sustainability, with a strong focus on attracting young people into agribusiness.

According to Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, this shift marks a significant departure from traditional, labour-intensive field sampling previously used for agricultural data collection. "Today, we are moving forward using machine learning, using satellite imaging, where we are able to estimate the crop area and the crop growth condition, and therefore to be able to estimate the yield using technology," he said.

This season, the approach will begin with maize, Irish potatoes, and rice, with plans to expand to crops like cassava. Challenges remain with crops such as beans, which are intercropped and harder to detect via satellite, but advancements are ongoing.

Bagabe described the transformation as a move from smallholder subsistence to high-tech commercial agriculture, making the sector more appealing to young Rwandans. “You cannot create profit, you cannot make it a business, unless you standardise... That’s precision, that’s standardisation,” he explained, citing automated irrigation as an example of this modern approach.

Precision agriculture, which uses GPS, sensors, drones, and satellite data, allows farmers to optimise water, fertiliser, and pesticide use while increasing yields and sustainability. Already in Rwanda, automated systems are helping regulate irrigation based on real-time crop needs, cutting labour costs and conserving water.

The government plans to increase irrigated land from 70,000 to 130,000 hectares by 2029, aiming to build a resilient, tech-driven food system.

Youth-led businesses are embracing drone technology for crop monitoring and exporting these services across borders. “Technology has come to make agriculture much easier for us,” Bagabe stressed.

Cynthia Umutoniwabo, CEO of Loopa, urged young agripreneurs to build businesses around solving real problems. “Build solutions that are addressing real challenges... then it’s not going to be a hustle,” she advised.