NYAMASHEKE - Cell leaders in Nyamasheke district have pledged to mobilise farmers to embrace better farming techniques in the next season.

The local leaders made the pledges during a district meeting meant to plan for the upcoming rainy season.
The meeting, which attracted over 300 participants, featured sector and cell leaders, agronomists, NGO representatives and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture.

The meeting  emphasized the need to fight soil erosion through terracing, concentrating on crops that are suitable to the area soils, utilizing animal waste as fertilizers, as well as planting quality seeds.

The District Mayor, Jean Baptiste Habyarimana, called upon the farmers to keep their promise as pledged in the meeting.

The farmers blamed past poor agricultural yields on lack of proper guidance. "All the past seasons, no one had ever communicated to us on how to go about improving our farming techniques. Since we now have a different approach we expect bigger and better yields in the future,” said Yohani Simparingabo, one of the participants.

"What I have learnt in this meeting will help me fight soil erosion which has always been a hindrance,” another added.

Nyamasheke will specialise in beans, coffee, passion fruits, bananas, cassava and maize farming.

The district will soon make follow-up plans, to ensure that preparations are done perfectly in each sector.

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