Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) is working closely with its partners involved in seeds multiplication to ensure quality seeds are available to all farmers by 2018.

The current provision of seeds to farmers stands at 20 per cent.

Dr Daphrose Gahakwa, RAB deputy director, admits that providing quality seeds has been a challenge for years but said efforts are underway to address the issue.

She called on the private sector and professional farmers to help fill the seeds supply gap, saying it is not possible for government alone to satisfy the demand.

"The issue of potato seeds is not well addressed nowadays, there are not enough seeds for farmers a to plant,” Gahakwa told The New Times.

She advised farmers and the private sector to collaborate with RAB to ensure that more seeds are multiplied and distributed to boost production.

There are around 22 green houses owned by professional farmers across the country, with RAB producing 20 per cent of required seeds.

"RAB has a gap of 80 per cent seeds supply. It cannot afford to provide enough seeds all alone. This is why we call upon stakeholders to take part, all farmers must collaborate with RAB in order to look for a long lasting solution to the issue,” stated Gahakwa.

Quality seeds are requisite for quality potato produce to satisfy the current national and regional demand.The demand for Irish potatoes is significant since the crop is a staple food for many.

There is also a growing market from factories making potato related byproducts, which puts pressure on concerned institutions.

RAB laboratory has a capacity to develop 60,000 Irish potato plantlets, which is low compared to what is required.

Another laboratory that will have capacity to develop 800,000 plantlets will be operational in the near future, according to Jean Claude Izamuhaye, the head of Northern Agricultural Zone.

Izamuhaye explained that the lab will avail mini tubes which will be distributed among seed multipliers to multiply and distribute them to farmers.

Gahakwa is confident that farmers will be getting enough quality seeds by 2018 from either "convention screen house” or "aeroponic screen house’ systems which are free from diseases.

Appolinaire Karegeya, who multiplies seeds in a high tech modern screen house, said quality seeds can be made in less than two months to distribute to other multipliers.

We are committed to keep collaborating with RAB but again there is a need for concerned bodies to invest more in seeds multiplication, he told The New Times.

Farmers who talked to The New Times said currently they face shortage of seeds since those available are expensive.

"Farmers need quality seeds to guarantee enough produce. However, we sometimes plant seeds we get from our produce through best selection process while others do not even bother planting what they have which affects produce, ” said Emmanuel Mutuyimana, a potato farmer in Nyabihu District.

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