In the town of Gashora, 52 kilometres from Kigali in Rwanda, the German car manufacturer Volkswagen will be delivering its electric tractors to small farmers thirsting for modern, sustainable agriculture.
The government of Rwanda has just signed an agreement with the management of the German group Volkswagen. The German carmaker will launch large-scale production of its “e-Tractor” by 2024. These energy-efficient electric tractors will boost productivity on farms, particularly in rural areas. The pilot phase will benefit farmers in Gashora, a town with a population of 32,000 in the Bugesera district.
“These machines, equipped with an electric motor and battery backup, will help farms to cultivate larger areas much more efficiently, which means less work, higher yields and increased income for farmers. The aim is to benefit entire village communities rather than individual farms,” says Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda.
The initiative by the subsidiary headed by Michaella Rugwizangoga is part of the eco-responsible Gen-Farm project supported jointly by the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the Rwandan Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA). As well as making agriculture more environmentally friendly, Martina Biene sees the development of electric mobility. “The future of all sectors in Africa will be determined by the storage and distribution of green energy”, said the CEO of Volkswagen in South Africa, who attended the ceremony.
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The carmaker’s collaboration with the Rwandan government dates back to 2019, when the Moving Rwanda Initiative was launched. This programme saw the introduction of four Volkswagen e-Golf taxis in Kigali, the first electric vehicles in the East African country at the time. These vehicles, capable of travelling 230 kilometres, are the fruit of a partnership with electrical engineering company Siemens, which installed the recharging stations.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
