NORTHERN PROVINCE

GICUMBI — District will this year specialise in the growing of wheat, Irish potatoes, passion fruits, vegetables and beans in order to increase food security in the area.

This was disclosed during a one-day meeting on improvement of food security in cross-border districts. Held at the district headquarters last week, the meeting was organised by Food and Agricultural Organisation [FAO]

In her speech, the FAO country representative, Elizabeth Balepa, said the $1million project is aimed at improving food security in the district and uplifting people’s economic standards through sale of surplus produce.

"This project operates through cooperatives to modernise agriculture under NEPAD framework," said Balepa. She further said the project operates in cross-border districts of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. It is a three-year project financed by the Italian Trust for Food Security and Food Safety meant to increase farm productivity and farm income.

"Besides agriculture, the project shall also support livestock farming to increase milk production among livestock farmers," added Balepa.

Ildephonse Butera, the district vice mayor for economic development, who represented Mayor Bonane Nyangezi, hailed the project for its objectives to improve economic welfare among residents. He noted that the project is in line with the district’s priority programmes of attaining Millennium Development Goals and subsequent realisation of Vision 2020.

"This shall be achieved through good governance, improved agriculture, environmental conservation and cooperation with our development partners," said Butera.

The project works in partnership with the Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce and other development institutions such as RADA, RHODA, RARDA and ISAR among others. It has its own budget of $ 1 million for Rwanda.

Others who attended the meeting included Sector executive secretaries across the district, the coordinator of FAO cross-border food Security, Juvenal Kabiligi, the district officer in charge of cooperatives, Appolinaire Habiyakare, agricultural officers and representatives of cooperative societies from each sector.

Ends