World Food Day: Govt looks to fruit trees for food security

Rwanda will today mark the World Food Day during which several activities will be carried out, including planting fruit trees. The day is meant to allow Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) member states examine the progress made in achieving the food security goal. The World Food Day falls on October 16 annually, but each country can choose a more convenient date between October 16 and 30 to mark the day. This year, the Day is being marked under the theme; “Feeding the world, caring for the earth.” The theme was chosen in recognition of the role played by the smallholder farmers in improving food security and contributing toward eradication of hunger. The event, to be marked in Mugesera Sector, Ngoma District, comes at a time when Rwanda boasts good food security status nationwide. July to December 2014 forecasts showed that calorific needs were covered at a rate of 131 per cent at national level, while at district level, the calorific coverage ranges between 2,123 Kcal/per/day to 4,421 Kcal/per/day, according to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture. “Total production was estimated at 1,578,000 MT cereal equivalents while needs were estimated at 1,190,000 MT. The estimated Food Balance Sheet showed a surplus of 388,000 metric tonnes,” the statement adds. A number of activities have been planned to mark the day, including weeding maize on a consolidated site of 120 hactates in Nyamugari Cell, planting fruit trees and touring different agricultural activities. The UN designated 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming. The theme of this year’s World Food Day aims at celebrating the contribution family farmers make toward food security and sustainable development. About 500 million out of the world’s 570 million farms are run by families, according to FAO’s annual State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report. Agricultural productivity worldwide, according to FAO, has dramatically increased, thanks to technological advancement. A growing and increasingly urbanised world population is relying on food produced by a much smaller percentage of farmers compared to that of the post-Second World War period. FAO argues that family farming needs to be supported to respond to the changing conditions. “Innovation is key to make this happen. Family farmers need to be innovative and improve on the systems they use.” editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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World Food Day: Govt looks to fruit trees for food security