After a one year agriculture training course in Israel, a team of 17 agriculture technicians is looking to improve the country’s agricultural output by introducing modern technologies. The team has formed the ‘Rwanda Agriculture Promoters Organisation (RAPO)’, a non-profit organisation that aims to help farmers find solutions to the various challenges that they face in order to improve their yields. During the visit of Impuhwe Cooperative, an ex-combatants’ cooperative that grows vegetables in Kanombe Sector, Alexis Safari, RAPO’s director, said they wanted to share the lessons they had learnt in Israel. “Agriculture is a business like others. It is one of the most profitable businesses when practiced well. That’s why we want to help the community to improve the way they farm,” Safari said. The team, which works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, encourages farmers to start using new technologies, like growing crops in greenhouses and using appropriate fertilisers. The farmers appreciated the initiative, saying that they are willing to work with the specialists to boost their agricultural output. “Many people think that support has to be monetary but it can also be in the form of technical advice. Money is nothing without skills. But we are glad to learn from the technicians’ advisory support and we hope our harvest will improve and incomes increase thanks to their advice,” said John Ndekezi, a member of Impuhwe Cooperative. The experts plan to visit different farmers countrywide. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
