Cassava, Maize & Potato — REMA-approved environmental release, September 2025
Biotech Cassava
4 information sections · REMA environmental release approved September 2025
✓ Approved
REMA 2025
What is Biotech Cassava?
Biotech cassava varieties have been developed to resist Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD), which devastate yields across Sub-Saharan Africa. Rwanda's RABP-CMP program has developed and tested lines like TH16-T2xR2-82 and TH16-T2xR1-222 in confined field trials.
Key Challenges Addressed
CBSD and CMD can destroy up to 100% of a cassava harvest. Rwanda's smallholder farmers depend on cassava as both food and income. Biotech resistance traits directly address these devastating threats to food security.
Benefits for Farmers
Disease resistance means stable yields, lower crop losses, and reduced need for replanting. Biotech cassava also offers improved nutritional profiles and yield improvements of up to 40% compared to susceptible conventional varieties.
Field Trial Results
Confined field trials in Rubona and other RAB stations demonstrated strong CBSD resistance. Environmental release approval was granted by REMA on September 3rd, 2025 — marking Rwanda's first approval of a biotech food crop.
3 information sections · REMA environmental release approved September 2025
✓ Approved
REMA 2025
What is Biotech Maize?
Drought-tolerant and insect-resistant biotech maize varieties developed for Rwanda contain Bt traits providing natural resistance to the devastating fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) that has swept across Africa since 2016.
Key Challenges Addressed
The fall armyworm arrived in Africa around 2016 and rapidly spread across Rwanda, reducing maize yields by up to 50% in some areas. Chemical control is expensive and poses health and environmental risks. Biotech maize provides a durable, farmer-friendly solution.
Benefits for Farmers
Biotech maize reduces the need for chemical pesticides, lowering input costs. Its drought-tolerant traits protect yields during dry spells. Together these traits deliver consistent, reliable harvests for smallholder households depending on maize as a staple food and income source.
4 information sections · REMA environmental release approved September 2025
✓ Approved
REMA 2025
What is Biotech Potato?
Late blight resistant biotech potato varieties have been developed to combat Phytophthora infestans — the most destructive potato disease worldwide and responsible for massive annual losses for Rwandan farmers. RABP-CMP tested lines Vic.185 and Sha.105 in confined field trials at Musanze.
Key Challenges Addressed
Late blight forces Rwandan potato farmers to apply fungicides every 7–10 days during the growing season, increasing costs and environmental exposure. A single outbreak can destroy an entire crop within days, making growing potato extremely risky without chemical protection.
Benefits for Farmers
Blight-resistant biotech potato varieties reduce fungicide applications by more than 50%, cutting production costs dramatically. Stable yields improve household income predictability for Rwanda's hundreds of thousands of potato farming families.
Field Trial Results
Confined field trials at multiple RAB sites showed excellent resistance to late blight under natural disease pressure. Varieties also performed well in taste and quality evaluations. Environmental release approval was granted by REMA on September 3rd, 2025.
