Farmers in the Northern and Western provinces have appealed to the government to help them get ready market for their expected maize bumper harvest in February. The farmers expect increased maize production due to reliable rains, but are worried about price fluctuations. Aman Hagumimana, planted maize on three hectares and is expecting to harvest at least seven tonnes. He is however, worried about the market where he will sell his produce. “We have been blessed with rainfall and favourable weather that has helped us get better yields compared to the previous seasons. However, our hopes are low on market prospects,” he said. Hagumimana said he spent more than Rwf300, 000 on labour, seeds and fertilisers but doubts whether he will recover the expenses. “We sell a cob of maize at Rwf50 which is so low while a kilogramme of maize goes for Rwf150 to Rwf200. We cannot make profits at this price. We appeal to the government to invest more in market research,” Hagumumana said. Farmers in Shyira sector, Nyabihu District said the previous season, they sold their produce cheaply to local buyers and the rest got spoilt due to lack of storage facilities. Maize is one of the crops grown under the land consolidation programme in both Northern and Western provinces. The farmers lamented that the returns from the crop are meager compared to the investment in terms of labour and fertilisers. Joseph Gafaranga, the president of the farmers association in the Northern Province said price fluctuation is partly due to competition with Ugandan maize that has flooded the market. He assured farmers that the market has widened and urged them to ensure quality during and after harvest so that they attract more buyers.
