The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent movement restrictions enforced across the

country have affected they business by exponentially reducing marketing opportunities and their potential customers included restaurant, hotels and schools. They are now only sold in the local market and this has led to falling prices and reduced income. On the other hand, all planned workshops, trainings, field trips for farmers to increase skills, innovations, were canceled.

Most of farmers in Karongi District, Wester Province in Rwanda, would never imagine their professional and personal life could suffer such a big distraction. However, the district officials, said that based on this pandemic challenges for many business activities as well as in agriculture sector, advocacy with development partners going, also Ministry of Trade and Industry and others institutions in charge which could respond to the crisis with financial facilities.

COVID-19 lockdown puts banana growers and traders in pain

Banana Farmers and Traders too place a similar demand as they are unable to find buyers. Both still experienced coronavirus dares, particularly during lockdown while it wasn’t easy to get out and fight banana theft mostly at night hours.

“The COVID-19 pandemic could not have come to fall our business yield. With our

crop in harvest stage, transporting bananas to markets has become a problem due to covid 19, restrictions on movement of, and it was prohibited for public transport, this pandemic came when I had a lot of banana in stores and in farm, them and after lockdown, no means to transport them to Gisenyi or to our customers at the locals markets. My doubt is that If my crop is not harvested in the next few months, I stand to suffer a loss of 53%,” says Claudine Uwayezu, Gishyita Sector, Buhoro Cell.

“It has put the farmers in despair and we are waiting the administration structures, on how we can recovery our business, delivery and transport of banana without restrictions it can recovery our yield step by step” Odette Mukanyabyenda, from Rufungo in Rugabano said.

“Due to Covid-19 challenges, many Business activities in our district decreased. this

global pandemic affected its progress, like banana business and others crops Regular income. It had an adverse effect as well as for women in businesses, banana farmers. Also markets still were closed, and they could not access they clients, unfortunately in some sectors Theft of banana due to lock down increased, when no activity was taking place, even among the Banana trader’s things had stopped, also experienced the effects of COVID 19, However, businesses who demonstrate the negative impact of COVID19 on their operations, they are eligible to Economic Recovery Fund.” MUKASE Valentine, Vice Mayor/ASOC, Karongi District Said.

“We all know that women play a major role not only in our national economies but also in the global economy. Numerous reports from IMF to Mckinsey, affirms that gender equality promotes economic stability and growth. We are living testimonies that promoting women economic empowerment provides numerous opportunities to boost economic growth and productivity, lead to greater equality in income distribution, support higher corporate profits, increase economic resilience and contribute to other development outcomes such as health, competitiveness and human capital development “Hon. Minister Hakuziyaremye said.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry is working with relevant economic sector stakeholders to cushion businesses during this COVID-19 period. For instance, domestic taxes

collected by RRA such as VAT and CIT have been deferred by several months to ease the payment of taxes. The central bank has decreased the minimum capital ratio requirement for banks to facilitate more financial capital to lend to the private sector in addition to other monetary policies. A recovery fund has been established to support the working capital of businesses as well.

Domestically, trade within the country has also declined slightly, with wholesale trade decreasing 3% points between Q4 2019 and Q1 2020. Export of domestically produced agricultural crops has decreased by 16% due to the closure of land borders, most especially the DRC border to informal cross border trade.