Regional researchers seek new agricultural concepts

NORTHERN PROVINCE MUSANZE — Agricultural researchers from Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under the Lake Kivu Pilot Learning project (LKPLS) are meeting in Musanze to design ways of using the latest research for development. According to Dr Jonas Mugabe, the Assistant Director General of the National Agricultural Research Institute-ISAR, the three-day meeting aims at developing new agricultural concepts involving farmers about improved seeds and fertilisers and how the new concepts can trickle down to farmers. “This is an innovation platform which will create a way of researchers working directly with farmers, understanding their problems and involving the associated problems,’’ Dr Mugabe said. The Lake Kivu Pilot Learning Site which is under Agriculture Research Forum for Africa-FARA strives to contribute to improved food and nutrition security, increased household incomes and improved quality of natural resource base. This, according to the participants, will apply integrated agriculture research for development, test and promote technological and policy innovations on integrated water shed management. The participants are drawn from Rwanda’s ISAR, Send A Cow, Urugaga imbaraga, Uganda’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Makerere University and from DR Congo’s INERA-Institute National pour Agricole Rechecher. Ends