EASTERN PROVINCE

RWAMAGANA — In order to prevent food shortages, the Eastern Province has resolved to store close to 65,000 tonnes of maize.

Due to abundant harvests of the crop last season  farmers had reportedly started selling the crop at give away prices which prompted leaders’ intervention.

Addressing provincial and district leaders, Charles Gasana, the Executive Secretary of the Eastern Province, observed that apart from minimizing food shortages the move would also prevent farmers from being cheated. He called on residents to embrace the resolution for their own benefit.

The meeting held at AVEGA last week was also attended by agricultural officials, leaders of maize growing cooperatives, officials of Rwanda Agriculture Development Agency (RADA) and others from Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry (MINICOM).

According to the resolutions of the meeting, a family of more than five members would store at least 300kgs of maize while a family with less than five members would store at least 150kgs.

Under the arrangement the farmers are supposed to take the agreed quantities of the crop to their respective cells, where storage facilities were established within two weeks.
The members also endorsed a decision stopping the sale of maize till the end of storage exercise, while Frw100 was set as the minimum price for a kilo of maize when selling resumes.

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