By Jean de Dieu NDAYISABA.
Dairwa ltd, a company that supplies agricultural inputs, has announced plans to introduce a herbicide designed for rice farming, which is expected to reduce the costs associated with weeding by up to 80%.
The company, which already supplies coda liquid fertiliser used in rice cultivation, says the new product is intended to ease the burden on farmers by reducing the labour and time required to control weeds in rice fields.
Dairwa ltd managing director Ngarambe Maisha Laurent announced the development during the general assembly of members of Coproriki Cooperative, which brings together rice farmers in Gikundamvura sector, on October 27, 2026.
Ngarambe said the herbicide had undergone research and field trials in collaboration with the Rwanda agriculture and animal resources development board (RAB) and the Rwanda inspectorate, competition and consumer protection authority (RICA). The product is designed to control weeds that compete with rice crops, potentially reducing the need for repeated manual weeding.
“We have spent time examining the challenges farmers face, particularly in rice farming, where production costs can be relatively high. As their partners, we have considered these challenges and are working to address them. We have completed field research in collaboration with RAB and RICA, and, in the near future, farmers in Rwanda will be able to use a selective herbicide for weed control,” Ngarambe said.
Following the announcement, some rice farmers told Pressbox that repeated weeding had been a significant financial burden and expressed optimism that the new product would make their work easier.
Nyiranzirorera Suzan said farmers often had to weed their rice fields four times, with each round costing approximately 10,000 frw.
“We used to weed our rice fields about four times, and each round cost 10,000 frw. You can imagine how much we spent altogether. It was a challenge for us, so having a product that can eliminate weeds would make our work much easier,” she said.
Coproriki Cooperative president Hamenyimana Oscar said the introduction of the herbicide could help reduce production costs and improve rice yields by enabling farmers to control weeds more efficiently.
“If the product becomes available and is used as we have been told, the amount farmers spend on production could decrease significantly. There are also times when farmers can not afford the cost of weeding, allowing weeds to overgrow and compete with the rice crop,” Hamenyimana said.
Ngarambe said research on the product had been completed, while the relevant agricultural and quality-control authorities are in the process of issuing the necessary authorisations for it to be placed on the market.
He added that the company expected the herbicide to be available in Rwanda by March 2027, in time for farmers to consider using it during the next rice-growing season.
