Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, has called on Rwamagana District farmers to diversify production to help meet the demand.

Kalibata made the remarks  on Wednesday during a tour of the activities implemented by the Land Husbandry Water Harvesting and Hillside Irrigation (LWH) project in Rwamagana, Eastern Province.

  The minister, who was accompanied by Jolly Dusabe, the project coordinator, urged farmers to maximise the opportunities provided by the project to double agricultural production.

"You should make this area more productive. The government is counting on you to increase agricultural production,” Kalibata told a group of farmers at Rwamagana.

 Francesca Mutiganda, the vice-mayor of Rwamagana and LWH Rwamagana co-ordinator Valence Uwayezu, said maize production in the area was promising and encouraged farmers to double their efforts.

Kalibata asked farmers to apply fertilisers to increase productivity. She advised them to conserve soils and pledged government’s support to make the area more productive.

Kalibata assured the farmers of ready market for their produce but challenged them to ensure quality. 

The farmers informed the minister that their livelihood had dramatically improved due to increased food production. 

"We can now harvest about five tonnes from one hectare, up from one tonne per hectare. We thank the government for ensuring that our lands are more productive,” said Ephraim Uwitonze, the farmers’ representative.

Presently, farmers supported by LWH are engaged in cooperatives, income-generating activities and saving schemes.

Farmers in Rwamagana are expecting to harvest more than 4,500 tonnes of maize from 1857.2 hectares of land.

At the event, farmers used traditional dances and plays to explain how new agricultural technologies have transformed their lives.