As an old adage goes, the best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. Peter Muyongo a resident of Kayigiro village, Gitegure cell, Tabagwe sector in Nyagatare District, in the Eastern Province, took this saying seriously.

Seven years ago, Muyongo abandoned cattle rearing for rice farming, a decision that left many in Nyagatare puzzled. After rearing indigenous cows for almost half of his life with no returns, the 45-year-old decided it was time to venture into rice farming. Now a millionaire in his locality, Muyongo has no regrets for having taken that road to undertake what many called a ‘dirty economic activity’.

How he started

Like many other farmers in his community, Muyongo did not go far in school, his parents were poor and survived from hand to mouth. As a young by, Muyongo was forced to drop out of school to tend to his parents cattle.

He says they had a small herd, and the situation was made worse by the fact that they were of poor quality.

Muyongo says despite lack of an education, he had a force driving him toward search for a better life. He says he tried different activities around his communities but was not successful.

"That’s when I decided to venture into commercial rice growing because I had seen how it improved the lives of some of the people in Nyagatare,” he says.

At first, he tried to become a small trader by opening a small shop in the village, but was not successful.

When the situation did not improve, Muyongo adds, he ignored those who were discourgaing him and started rice farming.

To kick start the enterprise, he sold some of his animals, which was a risky decision considering the opposition he was getting from his peers and family members.

"I took full advantage of the development of Muvumba marshland in Tabagwe sector; worked tirelessly to ensure my efforts did not go to waste and I become a laughing stock in the village,” he says.

Livestock farming is the mainstay for Nyagatare residents, but with the prolonged drought spells in the area, animal farming became less productive thus the need to diversify and take on other farming activities like rice growing became eminent.

Muyongo says he embraced commercial rice farming, driven by the increasing demand and consumption of rice in the country.

Rice is the only food crop that is consumed by more than half of the global population which makes it a commercially viable crop in business terms, he argues.

Muyongo says he began with only two hectares of land for his rice project about six years ago. He also grew other crops, like climbing beans and ground nuts, on the same piece of land.

In 2011, Muyongo joined the other promising farmers in Nyagatare for a training in rice farming under the Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP).

"The project was mainly focusing on unlocking rural growth to increase household incomes and reduce poverty by turning marshland to productive use,” he explains.

From his two hectares, the Nyagatare farmer was able to harvest more than 15 tonnes of rice every season, a feat he attributes to the modern farming techniques he acquired from the RSSP training.

Challenges

Muyongo says rice farming is not for the fainted hearted and requires hard work, commitment and determination.

He says that not many farmers are willing to spend their time in a marshland tending to the cereal.

He says many Rwandans still consider agriculture, especially crop farming, as an insignificant activity for the illiterates.

Prolonged dry spells, pests and diseases are some of the other major challenges rice farmers must deal with to produce sustainably and remain competitive.

"It becomes difficult during the dry season,particularly for those who cannot afford to hire or buy irrigation equipment,” he says.

He adds that the government should step up efforts to help farmers with more irrigation systems.

Too much importation

Muyongo believes the Rwanda is allowing too much rice into the country from abroad, saying importation and illegal processing is making it difficult for local farmers to gain from the activity. We are still relying on imported rice instead of empowering local farmers to increase production. The potential is there once farmers get the right ingredients, he says.

"We are, however, thankful for the continued support from Ministry of Agriculture to rice farming, especially efforts to streamline the business.”

Muyongo says government should stick to the planned ban on importation of rice by 2018, arguing that the move will boost farmer’s confidence towards increase production.

Dealing with middlemen and market accessibility

According to Muyongo, logistical challenges, as well as market information and accessibility have continued to drag down rice farmers. As a result, many farmers rely on middlemen to transport produce to market which reduces their profits, he says.

He is, however, confident and optimistic that the recent government initiative to establish a monitoring committee aimed at fighting illegal rice processors will help solve the problem.

"I believe it will help address some of these challenges and make rice farming profitable.”

Achievements

Despite the challenges, Muyongo has recorded key achievements, including diversifying into dairy farming. He now rears five Friesian cows as an alternative way of ensuring steady income. He says he pays fees for his 10 children with ease, and he is currently constructing a permanent house worth Rwf20 million, thanks to rice farming.

He has also bought more land and now owns more than 10 hectares of arable land. Muyongo has a plan to establish a rice processing plant, as part of the bigger plan to start rice exports to the region

Advice to farmers

He advises farmers to embrace modern farming methods to increase productivity to become profitable. "You can’t keep on doing things using the same techniques for 10 years and expect returns. So, farmers should become innovative and embrace value-addition to gain more from their efforts,” he says.

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