NYARUGURU–The Governor of the Southern Province, Alphonse Munyantwali, has urged farmers in the province to adopt modern farming methods if they were to increase their output. He was speaking in Kibeho Sector, Nyaruguru District during the launch of the 2013 first farming season (2013 season A).Earlier in the day, the Governor with local leaders, army and police officers, joined residents in Mpanda Cell in planting maize seeds on a 20 hectares stretch of land. Over 500 local residents took part in the exercise.Addressing residents shortly after the exercise, Munyantwali urged residents to keep protecting their farms against erosion through the construction of terraces and the adoption of other preventive measures."The use of fertilisers and selected seeds is essential in improving your produce”, he said.In a speech which was as interactive as an informal discussion, the Governor challenged residents to embrace the land use consolidation and the crop intensification programmes so as to boost production."Working hard and being professionals will help us register economic growth”, he observed.He called on them to develop the teamwork spirit, which he said is vital for their success.Nyaruguru District’s agronomist, Thomas Mbonyisenge, told The New Times that as the farming season kicks off, seeds and fertilisers are readily available for farmers.He said that this season the district targets 5,000 hectares of maize, 30,000 hectares of beans, 5,000 hectares of potatoes, 400 hectares of tea, 250 of coffee and 1,800 of cassava."All the crops will be grown on consolidated plots of land”, he observed. "We hope that the measures we have put in place will help farmers to increase their production”.