Nursery

The Challenge

Eastern part of Rwanda faces:

• Severe land degradation
• Low soil fertility
• Increasing drought vulnerability
• Limited access to quality fruit seedlings
• Low survival rates of non-adapted tree species

Farmers were hesitant to plant trees that did not generate direct income. At the same time, poor land management practices were reducing agricultural productivity.

Our Response

Forest4Life established a community nursery to:

• Produce climate-adapted seedlings locally
• Improve survival rates
• Promote agroforestry systems that combine income and restoration

The objectives of the nursery project are to:

• Increase production capacity from 7,000 to 30,000 seedlings annually
• Improve seedling quality and resilience
• Supply grafted mango (Zillate, Kent, Tommy) and Hass avocado
• Produce native species such as Markhamia lutea and Acacia abyssinica
• Support farmers with access to high-quality planting materials
• Strengthen youth skills through hands-on nursery training

Our approach includes:

1. Seed Selection & Grafting

   • Use climate-adapted rootstocks
   • Apply proper grafting techniques for fruit varieties

2. Nursery Management

   • Improved irrigation systems
   • Shading and soil preparation
   • Disease and pest monitoring

3. Farmer Engagement

   • Training in agroforestry and conservation agriculture
   • Field visits and follow-up monitoring

4. Youth Involvement

   • Practical training in nursery operations
   • Environmental education through school clubs

1. High demand for grafted fruit seedlings
2. Native species improve soil recovery
3. 85% average seedling survival rate
4. Farmers prefer trees with income potential

Access to climate-adapted, income-generating seedlings significantly increases farmer willingness to adopt agroforestry. Combining restoration with economic benefit improves long-term sustainability

1. Scale nursery infrastructure
2. Expand irrigation capacity
3. Strengthen Monitoring & Evaluation systems
4. Develop long-term market linkages