RUTSIRO/KARONGI- A coffee farmers’ cooperative in Rutsiro District yesterday rewarded its members after registering tremendous profits this agricultural season.

Mathias Abimana, the cooperative’s president revealed that production has increased over 40 times since 2005.

"We want to ensure that we don’t lag behind in development. It’s our intention to increase production since it’s a way of reducing poverty among our members,” he said.

Abimana explained that each member would receive extra money depending on the individual production registered last season.

"From our profits, each member will get more money depending on the number of kilograms that were supplied,” said he.

Everest Twahirwa, a farmer who supplied 12,000 kilogrames was awarded Rwf 1.3million.

Speaking to The New Times, Twahirwa could not hide his joy.

"I have been encouraged to work even harder and increase production because it’s clear that working together improves the amount of profits,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a bid to increase coffee production in Karongi District, residents planted over 6,000 coffee seedlings on about six hectares of consolidated land.

The coffee was planted in areas near the shores of Lake Kivu since that is where the soils are favourable.

Bernard Kayumba, the Mayor of Karongi District, revealed that before the end of the year, over 200,000 seedlings will have been planted.

"At the end of the day, we wish to plant about 600 hectares with coffee so as to improve the economic performance of the district,” said Kayumba.

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