WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU - The head of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL), Ambassador Gabriel Toyi, has said that CEPGL aims to improve farming in its member states through its newly-formed agricultural and animal husbandry project.

Toyi said this while closing a two-day meeting which brought together delegates from the three member States of Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo at Peace Land Hotel in Gisenyi town. Also present were agricultural experts and representatives from the Belgian embassy, the African Union and USAID.

The meeting shortly follows another one that brought together foreign affairs ministers where they asked CEPGL delegates to create projects that will help improve agricultural production in order to reduce food shortage.

"Sometime back we designed projects with the main aim of improving agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries in the region. This meeting was therefore organised to bring together CEPGL delegates and agricultural experts from the three countries as well as some of our donors to discuss as a team the feasibility and practicability of this project,” explained Gabriel. 

He said that some of the agricultural projects will work hand in hand with the already existing CEPGL institutions such as the Institute of the Agronomic Researches and Zootechniques (IRAZ) to help farmers in the three countries access improved seeds.

He added that CEPGL, through its cooperation with various governments and donors, will introduce tractors which will help large scale CEPGL farmers.

According to Dr Theo Baert, a representative from the Belgian Embassy, his government was happy about the re-establishment of CEPGL.

"The Belgian Government will continue supporting the regional economic cooperation and integration of the three countries that are currently having similar development challenges, common interests as well as common aspirations for peace, security and progress.

We hope continuous cooperation among CEPGL states will increase understanding between their people thus unified efforts towards development,” he said.

The Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL), which was created on 20th September 1976, is a sub-regional block which comprises institutions shared by Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, and whose major aims are to foster security, economic integration and facilitate the movement of goods and people.

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