Since time immemorial, the call for agricultural diversification has been a mantra shouted from the rooftops. Enter Alex Byamana. He is the owner of a diversified farm located in Rugende, along the Kigali- Kabuga road.

With enormous courage and determination, Byamana started farming in August 2011, digging fish ponds and setting everything up. The fish farm kicked off with only ten kilogrammes of baby tilapia.The Rugende-based diversified farm mainly deals with tilapia. The farm, which is uncommon in Rwanda, has four ponds with an unknown number of tilapia. The fish feed mostly on detrins and fertilizers, such as nitrogenous and phosphorous compounds. With no product sales yet Alex Byamana plans to do so once he has 800 kiliogrammes worth of the fish, a goal he hopes to reach by August. Because of the rapid reproduction rate, which is not healthy for fish growth, the number of tilapia is controlled by Claria Isheriensis, a type of fish that eats tilapia eggs.All this was not possible without the assistance of Patrick Uwamahoro, head of the workers at the farm, who studied ichthyology (the study of fish). With his knowledge, Uwamahoro trained the other workers who are now overseeing the ponds development"The ponds employ five men whose job is to maintain them. They all live around Rugende and know the place well. So it’s to the advantage of the farm and the people around the area,” Uwamahoro said.Byamana still wanted to make maximum use of his land and so he put rabbit hutches just above the fish ponds. The rabbit rearing started at the same time as the fish, but they’ve already started earning him some money, unlike the tilapia. The rabbit hutches hold four rabbits each and are well spaced to improve the animals’ welfare. By taking good care of his rabbits, he has been able to earn good money from them.Admirably, no section of potential farm land is wasted. On top of the rabbit and fish farms, the land next to the ponds is now being used for fruit and vegetable cultivation."A number of crops such as onions, tomatoes and other vegetables are being cultivated there and will be sold, as well” said Uwamahoro. Luckily, this farm is strategically located close to a stream that supplies sufficient amount of water to the ponds and garden. There is a water pump that channels water to the ponds from the stream and then gets rid of the dirty water; this pump also waters the other crops when needed. The farm hasn’t only been good to Alex Byamana but it has also proven to be a boon to the entire area. Around 40 people are presently employed on the farm, most of them natives of the area. It has improved their lives, and, as it grows, the employment level grows as well. "I live around this place and have been employed on this farm since last year and it has helped me with my finances a lot. Now I can take my children to school and even buy them necessities. I thank God for it,” Dativa Mahoro, one of the workers on the farm, said smiling.The positive impact of the farm has also spread beyond the local residents. "The channel of water that the farm built has helped reduce flooding in the area and our farms are safe from being waterlogged. I am very thankful to the owner”, Festo Kambanda, a nearby farmer, said with a relieved face. The stream that formerly flooded the area was channeled away by tunnels next to the farm. Alfonse Bahati, a trader from the Kabuga market, said, "it’s a great thing that fish has been brought close to us. Now we don’t have to buy it from far away and the price will be affordable. Our market will grow and we shall earn more”With all this in place, Byamana hopes to one day set up a restaurant by the farm, which is good news to the residents and the future workers there.The farm is not that big, but the impact it has on the community has been noticeable. It’s a blessing to the people around it and its going to be a very big source of income for the proud owner.buchaponica@gmail.com