•7th Itorero session opens in southern province

SOUTHERN PROVINCE

HUYE-Prime Minister Bernard Makuza yesterday urged agricultural officers to always be close to the farmers if production is to increase.

He said this while officiating at the opening of the 7th Itorero session for over 1200 agricultural officers and their partners, a function that took place in the Southern Province.

In his opening remarks, Makuza applauded the role played by the agriculture extension staff programme that saw an all time high contribution of 31 percent to the country’s GDP in the year 2008.

"The agriculture sector, in the same year registered a 15 percent growth which contributed enormously to the over 11 percent economic growth rate registered in 2008,” said Makuza.

The officials who attended the session were drawn from all the districts in country, during the camp, will draw a plan on how the agriculture sector can be transformed to achieve targets set out for sector.

The Premier said that the growth in the sector was largely attributed to the different interventions by government to make a turn around in the sector that employs over 80 percent of the population.

He called upon the officers and partners in the sector not to rest on their laurels but use the time they will spend in the camp to solicit ways of addressing challenges that still haunt the sector.

"There are some opportunists who have used supplies like fertilizers meant for farmers for their own use. You should not hesitate to reveal such characters who seek to taint your image,” said Makuza.

The Premier said that despite the growth registered in the sector, there still remain glaring inconsistencies in the implementation of programmes in different districts and provinces.

He said that while some districts have registered tremendous achievements, others still lag behind.

"This is an opportunity to learn and share success stories with your colleagues from different districts and provinces. You should forge partnerships that will help you revamp the sector that is vital for the country’s development,” said Makuza.

According to Boniface Rucagu, the chairman of the national task force of Itorero the 7th session comes after that for grass root leaders, teachers, sector executive secretaries, members of the Diaspora, community health workers and the first batch of agriculture officers and partners.

He said that during the 7th session agriculture officers and partners in the sector will critically examine 25 issues that dog the sector and make commitments to improve.

Launched two years ago, Itorero is an informal education programme through which different groups of Rwandans meet to exchange different topics relating to the national development agenda.

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