The Rwanda Agriculture Board (Rab) has urged farmers to embrace long grain rice, which is preferred on the market and can resist harsh weather conditions.  

Rab Deputy Director-General Innocent Musabyimana said farmers will be given the necessary support to ensure the variety is produced instead of importing.

"We will be supplying you (farmers) with the seeds among other necessary services to ensure sufficient production of this variety,” Musabyimana said at a meeting that brought together representatives of Rab, farmers’ cooperatives and other stakeholders in Kigali, said.

The meet sought to evaluate the last farming season and check on how rice farmers are prepared for this season.

"The government continues to invest in development of marshlands so that farmers can have enough land, our target is to increase productivity from the current five metric tonnes per hectare to seven or eight,” Musabyimana said.

Hawa Mukandutiye, the national coordinator of rice cooperatives, welcomed the assurance from the government agency of helping them access quality seeds, fertilisers, vowing that as farmers, they will also play their role.