AGRILEC Ltd is a company registered in Rwanda in 2013 and owned by Mr Alphonse Hategekimana. It specialises in food production and supply. The aim of AGRILEC is to operate business with farmers, source from them, and deliver quality fresh vegetables to the domestic market, particularly in schools. Trials in 2022 with 11 schools in Rutsiro District of Western Province and Kamonyi of Southern Province – and in 2023 with 27 schools only in Kayonza District – demonstrated that school feeding is a viable and profitable business and provides untapped opportunities. This requires the involvement of more smallholders to satisfy the demand from schools and comply with the recommended standards. 

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Smallholder Contract Farming of Fresh Vegetables for School Feeding and Local Markets

The project aimed to develop a scalable, investable, and socially-inclusive agribusiness model responding to and demonstrating the business opportunity provided by Rwanda’s National School Feeding Programme. 

This 15-month project between August 2024 and November 2025 had a total budget of £232,900 (£69,800 from CASA) and a goal to expand to 100 schools and 5,000 smallholder farmers. CASA’s technical assistance for investment readiness helped AGRILEC establish key planning, operational, and management systems; however, expert guidance recommended consolidating internal structures before seeking external finance, as the company is still at an early stage of implementing its business model. Consequently, AGRILEC has prioritised self-investment and internal strengthening to reduce risk and ensure a stable, viable position when engaging financial institutions in the future. AGRILEC had planned to invest in infrastructure to establish a fully-equipped operational base, including facilities for contract farming support, linkages with input suppliers, reliable market facilitation, and a resource centre for farmer information access. However, based on the expert advice, AGRILEC decided to defer immediate infrastructure investments and instead prioritise empowering smallholders, consolidating business partnerships with schools, and enhancing company branding and visibility. A smart vegetable supply tracking system was developed together with tailored tools, training materials, and digital systems to enhance operational efficiency and transparency.

AGRILEC successfully enrolled 4,700 farmers, including 2,209 women, and formalised supply agreements with 127 schools. By December 2025, 500 farmers were actively engaged in the production and supply of vegetables to 67 schools, through the out-growers scheme and contributing to a reliable supply of nutritious vegetables while strengthening structured market linkages between smallholder farmers and institutional buyers. CASA provided technical assistance to AGRILEC for training 90 agronomists and lead farmers who now deliver effective extension services to contracted farmers. This has improved both the quality and quantity of vegetables supplied, with farmers applying good agricultural practices and schools receiving high-quality produce. AGRILEC also strengthened school kitchens’ capacity to prepare nutrient-rich, appealing vegetable-based meals, training staff from 123 schools through five sessions. This initiative improved student nutrition and encouraged schools to adopt AGRILEC’s business model, as documented in the learning paper on “Rwanda’s School Feeding Programme as a Business Opportunity for Inclusive Vegetable Supply Enterprises.”

Through the project, AGRILEC invested £133,100 from an already-secured commercial loan for vegetables aggregation, storage and transportation facilities, and the establishment of farmer service centres. AGRILEC is also seeking further debt investment. The partnership has positioned AGRILEC for future growth, scaling the out-growers scheme, and potential access to investment and working capital.

Updated: March 2026