Farmers in Kigali have been urged to exploit marshlands in their areas to increase productivity. Tony Nsanganira, the Minister of State for Agriculture, advised the farmers during an assessment exercise of the progress made in developing the earmarked marshlands, located in the three districts of the City of Kigali.
Farmers in Kigali have been urged to exploit marshlands in their areas to increase productivity.
Tony Nsanganira, the Minister of State for Agriculture, advised the farmers during an assessment exercise of the progress made in developing the earmarked marshlands, located in the three districts of the City of Kigali.
The ultimate goal is to have well exploited marshlands with significant contribution to the country’s development.
He said, "We have made an effort in rehabilitating the marshlands to make them productive. We have visited some of your colleagues who are harvesting green beans. They sell them in the local market that they even do not satisfy, and you know there is more market outside the country. There is therefore, a need for you to work together to maximally exploit these marshlands and boost production.”
He said the government’s decision to distribute parcels of land in wetlands to farmers was to ensure that they exploit it.
"We want you to adopt consolidated farming where you can choose to grow a certain crop on a large scale. You should then organise yourselves into cooperatives to achieve more,” Nsanganira advised farmers in Kinyinya marshland in Gasabo District.
To make the marshlands productive, they were classified into two.
The first category comprises small marshlands such as Umushumba mwiza marshland in Kicukiro District that covers 19 hectares, Rugende marshland that covers 60 hectares, Nyabugogo lower marshland that covers 44 hectares, and Gisozi-Gacuriro marshland that covers 27 hectares.
Other marshlands under this category are Nyarufunzo marshland in Nyarugenge District that covers 35 hectares, Kajeke-Sudasi marshland that covers 23 hectares in Kicukiro District, Rwintare marshland in Gasabo District that covers 25 hectares and Kacyiru (Maman Sportive) marshland that covers 30 hectares in Gasabo District.
The second category is made of large scale marshlands, including Kabuye marshland in Gasabo District that covers 386 hectares, Rwampara marshland in Nyarugenge District that covers 100 hectares, Rubirizi marshland (172 hectares) in Kicukiro, and Murindi marshland (250 hectares) in Kicukiro.
Ildephonse Habiyakare, a member of Zamuka cooperative that grows vegetables in Kami marshland in Gasabo, cited flooding among the major challenges they face in exploiting the marshland.
He said, "We always count losses due to flooding triggered by rainwater from people’s houses nearthe marshland. It would be better if we had mechanisms to drain that water.”
Francois Kobizaba, the president of Abashirikabute ba Gasabo, a cooperative that grows green beans in Kinyinya marshland, said lack of buffer zones and encroachment are among the challenges hindering good maintenance of the marshland.
However, Alphonse Nizeyimana, the vice mayor for finance in the City of Kigali, said they would work closely with the Ministry for Natural Resources to create buffer zones for the marshlands.
On residential houses close to the marshlands, he said the city master plan would be used as a guiding tool before offering construction permits.
An inventory of marshlands conducted in 2008 by Rwanda Environment Management Authority through the Integrated Management of Critical Ecosystems showed that Rwanda has 867 marshlands and 101 lakes covering a total surface of 278,536 ha and 149,487 ha, respectively, while tillable wetlands take 53 per cent.