BACKGROUND

The Rwandan Tree Seed Centre (RTSC) is part of the "Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda" (ISAR), which is the main agricultural/forestry research body in Rwanda. The RTSC has responsibility for the collection, preservation and distribution of tree germplasm for agroforestry, re-afforestation and other tree planting programmes, not only in Rwanda, but in the entire highlands region of East Africa. Before the start of the Rwandan Civil War the RTSC was considered to be amongst the best-managed national Tree Seed Centres in Africa. The RTSC received strong financial and technical support for many years from Swiss Intercooperation and had become fully self-financed before the war.

Three Australian tree species, Grevillea robusta, Eucalyptus grandis and E. camaldulensis, are of considerable importance as sources of timber and fuelwood in this densely populated highland. Between 1990-93 the Australian Tree Seed Centre (ATSC, CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products) had been involved in activities to strengthen the RTSC's programs, including a technical advisory visit, provision of research seed samples and hosting of a short-term professional attachment of the Officer-in-Charge of the RTSC).

Prior to the civil war, the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF, Nairobi) in partnership with ISAR, had been actively researching and developing agroforestry technologies in Rwanda based on Grevillea robusta and other promising tree species. ICRAF developed very close association with the RTSC, and the AFRENA-ECA agroforestry research programs (Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi) were reliant on the RTSC for supply of tree seed.

CIVIL WAR IMPACT ON RTSC

The advance of the then rebel army on Butare in June-July 1994 resulted in two significant events for RTSC. Firstly, there was the international rescue of the Officer-in-Charge of the RTSC and his family to Nairobi, led initially by the ATSC, in an unprecedented operation carried out in association with ICRAF and several other international tree seed centres and donors. ICRAF arranged for the employment of this professional for 12 months to carry out research on Grevillea in Western Kenya. Swiss Inter-cooperation has subsequently granted him a PhD scholarship to continue his research on Grevillea robusta at the Department of Forestry, Australian National University.

The second event was the breakage and looting of internal fittings and equipment. Looters left a total of 3369 kg of seed scattered and mixed on the floor of the seed store. Remarkably, all seed documents were left intact and this has been of great value in restarting the RTSC operations.

ICRAF'S SUPPORT TO RWANDA TREE SEED CENTRE

ICRAF continued to provide support to Rwanda agroforestry research in the context of AFRENA-ECA during 1995. The AFRENA-ECA collaborative research programme in Rwanda was established with ISAR in 1989, with bases in Rubona, Rwerere and Gakuta. Major research gain was made in the identification of multipurpose tree species for agroforestry systems in these different ecological locations. On-farm technology development and transfer activities had also begun to show promise by 1993. The Rwandan civil war of 1994 however brought everything to a halt and caused a reversal in the research process.

On conclusion of the war in mid 1994, ICRAF was among the first international organisations to visit Rwanda to assess the situation with regard to agricultural research in the country. A three-man team of ICRAF researchers visited Rwanda in November 1994, met with government officials and visited the three AFRENA research locations. They made a recommendation that, whereas the time may not be ripe for full initiation of research activities, every effort ought to be made to rehabilitate the RTSC.

SEEDS OF HOPE PROJECT

In December 1994, ICRAF, CSIRO, CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical), AusAID and World Vision (NGO) joined forces in a plan to provide emergency support and rehabilitation of the RTSC. This proposal was done as part of the CGIAR initiative known as the Seeds of Hope (SOH) which mainly focused on food crops and was co-ordinated by CIAT. Financial support for the rehabilitation of the RTSC was obtained from two sources - World Vision Australia/AusAID (through CSIRO) and the Swiss Development Cooperation; the programme was implemented in 1995.

The activities of the programme included:

- Assisting in staff build-up and training
- Physical rehabilitation of facilities
- Purchases of essential equipment and vehicles
- Resumption of seed collection, processing, storage and distribution operations.

During 1995, the RTSC was able to reorganise and sort out the previous seed stocks. Much of the seed which was scattered on the floor was salvaged. Over 3000 kg of seeds of various species were sorted, tested and placed in storage for distribution. Seed collections were recommenced and a total of 1,163 kg of seed was collected during 1995, while seed purchases from local seed collectors amounted to about 500 kg. RTSC also imported 40 kg of other species in demand, which were not available locally. CSIRO was instrumental in obtaining and supplying seed of several Australian, African and Central American species. A seed catalogue was produced and distributed to tree seed users in Rwanda and neighbouring countries.

A total of 486 kg of seed of forestry and agroforestry species was sold mostly to NGOs dealing with reforestation programs in the country. Seed was supplied to World Vision, Care International, World Food Program, GTZ, Armee du Salut, Lutheran World Federation, Coopi and others.

In addition to these seed collection and distribution activities, RTSC was also able to initiate some limited seed testing and scarification research on species such as Chamaecytisus palmensis, Calliandra calothyrsus, Cupressus lusitanica, Callitris endlicheri and Acrocarpus fraxinifolius. A document was produced on seed germination and germination methods.

ICRAF assumed the responsibility for technical guidance and assisted in financial management supervision. Technical backstopping was undertaken in collaboration with CSIRO and financial management supervision was done in collaboration with the office of the Swiss Development Cooperation in Kigali, Rwanda. The RTSC carried out training of local seed collectors, with emphasis on the need to collect good quality seed and to maintain good documentation.

The project has been most useful in getting the RTSC functional again after the chaos brought about by civil war. The Seeds of Hope project was a fairly quick response to need in a commodity (tree seed) not normally considered as an emergency item. The project has had an undoubted impact and has quickly helped provide seed for rebuilding Rwanda's forest estate. Perhaps the most significant result has been the re-establishment of the capacity of the RTSC to once again start charging for seed and recovering some costs, and thus giving hope for continuity of activities.

THE FUTURE

The future of the RTSC seems bright, but a lot of hurdles remain to be cleared. The project, like several others operating in post-civil war Rwanda, is under-staffed and under-resourced. ICRAF is working with the Centre to secure continued funding support from the Swiss Cooperation, AusAID/World Vision and other donors. In order to ensure the full resumption of agroforestry research activities in the country, ICRAF, in partnership with ISAR, has developed a proposal for the full resumption of the agroforestry research programme with funding of the European Union. It is believed that funds will be available for the re-launching of research activities in mid 1996.