Farmers tipped on conventional, organic farming

Farmers have been advised to adopt organic farming that does not require use of chemicals and conventional farming that uses chemicals. Norbert Sendege, the director-general of crop production at the Ministry of Agriculture, told farmers at the weekend at Mulindi agri-show ground that organic products are highly needed at the international market and bought at a higher price. “It can even triple the price for products from conventional farming. As both organic and conventional are needed at the market, you need to apply both to be able to supply all customers,” Sendege said. The farmers were exhibiting organic farming products. Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost, and biological pest control. Patrick Lumumba, an exhibitor from Uganda-based Blessed Organic Release, an umbrella for producers and processors of shea butter, sesame, and Moringa products, said organic farming products are homegrown solutions for prevention of diseases related to chemicals. “It is good that chemicals help us to boost our produce, but most of those chemicals present both direct and indirect harmful effects on our lives. Organic farming is a solution to curb those harmful effects, and you can produce as much as the conventional farming once best organic farming practices are applied correctly,” he said. Damien Manirakiza, a coffee farmer from Huye District, said coffee grown organically sells better than the coffee grown in conventional farming. “I have both organic and conventional farming plantations. When I take them all to the international market, I am paid around $4per kilogramme of conventionally grown coffee, while the price goes up to $15 for organic coffee,” he said. Sylvère Mudendeli, the chief executive of Rwanda Organic Agriculture Movement (ROAM), said organic farming is environmentally friendly. He explained that organic farming does not require chemicals, rather, it uses both organic compost and organic pesticides to control pests and diseases. “Organic farming is friendly to both humans and the environment whereas chemicals and fertilisers applied in conventional agriculture present some harmful effects. For instance, when you go above the standard quantity of a chemical to apply to a plant, the latter is damaged, which affects the surrounding organs, including man and nature,” Mudendeli said. Kigali International Trade Fair for organic and natural products was organised by ROAM in collaboration with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). The three-day expo closed yesterday. Exhibitors were drawn from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Italy. ROAM was established in 2007 and obtained its recognition in 2014 as an NGO. ROAM has up to 30,000 members who work in organic production, processing and marketing of organic coffee, tea, fruit and vegetables, potatoes, beans, cassava and the essential oil, among others.

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Farmers tipped on conventional, organic farming