Gov’t to get US$35m for irrigation

PARLIAMENT - Several foreign governments have pledged a total of $ 35 million towards boosting the Rwandan government’s agricultural irrigation program, Prime Minister Bernard Makuza has said. Makuza and three other ministers had been summoned by parliament to shed light on some outstanding issues.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Prime Minister Bernard Makuza addressing parliament on Wednesday (Photo; J. Mbanda)

PARLIAMENT- Several foreign governments have pledged a total of $ 35 million towards boosting the Rwandan government’s agricultural irrigation program, Prime Minister Bernard Makuza has said

Makuza and three other ministers had been summoned by parliament to shed light on some outstanding issues.

"We are making good progress with irrigation and different partners including USAID and Canada have pledged a total of $ 35 million towards that venture,” he said

In 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources inaugurated a similar irrigation project in Bugesera District, Eastern Province to the tune of Frw10.3 billion.

The money will boost agricultural production through the use of new irrigation technologies and will focus on the rehabilitation of hillsides to ensure that good terracing mechanisms are put in place.

Makuza told members of the lower chamber on Tuesday that the government was doing everything possible to improve on the agricultural sector, which still pioneers as the nation’s premium source of income.

"We have sometimes put our focus on one sector and overlooked the others and yet all sectors complement each other in promoting development. We are currently doing everything possible to see that the agriculture sector improves,” the Prime Minister said.

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