Posted on October, 15, 2018 at 11:14 am
The Prime Minister Dr Edouard Ngirente has joined hundreds of farmers in Kamageri sector of Nyamagabe District, Southern Province to launch the agricultural season 2019A where they were engaged in planting maize at a newly developed Mwogo marshland stretching on 57ha.
The Prime Minister, accompanied by some cabinet members including the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Gerardine Mukeshimana, officiated the season launch as part of his two-day working tour of the Southern Province.
In the valley where 703 farmers are organised in a cooperative, the Prime Minister and his team planted maize as well as held a meeting in which they listened to farmers' views on a range of issues including ideas on how to enhance productivity.
Ngirente was particularly impressed by the farmers' organisation and he promised to help them to, among others, get a better office where their affairs can be best managed.
Girente said: "One of the things that particularly impressed me is the unity and cooperation I have noticed in your cooperative. This is something very positive and you must uphold it".
He advised the rural farmers to embrace a savings culture as it will help them be more self-reliant.
The farmers appeared optimistic about a future of improved livelihoods.
Wallars Nkurunziza, 29, explained that their cooperative will be farming in the marshland for three seasons.
He said: "First, now, we are planting maize then later we shall plant beans after which we shall put in different vegetables.
“We have a place to dry and stock our maize produce and I am sure we shall have enough to feed our families and for the market," he added.
According to the farmer, preparing the marshland such that they can have three planting season is a new project that started this year.
"The marshland had been in use but very inefficiently. We now have proper irrigation canals and better farming methods and expect very good yields."
Source: Republic of Rwanda - Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI)