NORTHERN PROVINCE

GICUMBI – Local leaders embarked on a campaign to promote vegetable growing in every homestead in Gicumbi district, but most families still lack vegetable gardens.

A mini survey conducted by The New Times around Byumba, Kageyo and Rukomo Sectors, established that the vegetable gardens or kitchen gardens, also commonly referred to as Akarima k’igikoni are scarce.

Families say they had failed to set up vegetable gardens around their houses because such gardens are vulnerable to being preyed upon by domestic animals.

"You can’t grow green vegetables and tomatoes around the house with goats loitering in the entire homestead” said one Christopher Bizimana from Byumba.

Most well off families around Byumba town instead prefer to grow flowers around their compounds instead of vegetable gardens.

Such families throng Byumba market on daily basis to purchase Onions, Tomatoes and green vegetables for their daily consumption of greens. 

Steria Kampundu, a farmer in Horezo cell in Kageyo grows dodo green vegetables, tomatoes and passion fruits around her house for purely commercial purposes.

"I have to take these green vegetables and tomatoes to Rukomo market to get money to cater for other household requirements,” said Kampundu.

Francois Mugiraneza, is a modern farmer at Kageyo Sector, who specialises in modern agriculture and exotic livestock farming.

In addition to rearing Frisian cattle, Pigs, Chicken and Wheat farming, Mugiraneza is also proud of possessing a kitchen garden around his house.

While inspecting terraces, modern agriculture and exotic livestock farms in the district last year, the Minister of Local Government Protais Musoni hailed Mugiraneza’s kitchen garden saying: "This is a very wonderful kitchen garden.”

More sensitisation campaigns involving grass root leaders at village, Cell and Sector level are needed to promote vegetable growing countrywide.

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