The Kayonza vice Mayor, in charge of social affairs, Anita Mutesi has advised Rwandan farmers to form cooperatives in order to enhance food production and add value to their products.

She made the remarks on Wednesday at the Kabarondo Sector, after touring 10 hectares of land which was terraced by genocide criminals sentenced to community work (TIG).

Water pumping machines were also installed in the same place for irrigation purposes-using running water tapped from the surrounding hills.

The Ministry of Agriculture project, implemented by the Rwanda Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) aims at fighting soil erosion and harvesting rain water for irrigation purposes.

The project also intends to help residents engage in farming activities without skipping any season. Part of the terraced land is expected to be used for the growing of greens, onions, carrots, and fruits such as oranges, mangoes and avocados.

The vice Mayor warned residents not to destroy the terraces, and advised them to practice proper irrigation mechanisms. She also advised farmers to add value to their products like processing juice or lotions in order to fetch high prices.

"It is better for you to form cooperatives so that you increase production and be able to transform what you produce. With value addition you fetch more profits,” Mutesi said. 

The Acting Director General of RADA, Norbert Sendege commended residents for the collaboration and taking instructions of RADA experts. He promised RADA’s support in helping farmers practice agriculture on a large scale.

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