EASTERN PROVINCE KAYONZA — Kayonza district last week ended a Coffee Planting Week which witnessed the planting of 283 coffee seedlings part of the backlog emanating from targets set in 2008. “We organised this campaign to make sure that all the coffee seedlings that had been prepared for planting the previous year got planted this week so as to increase the set production targets,” the district head of livestock and agriculture farming and cooperatives, Emmanuel Ngezahumuremyi said at the weekend. The coffee seedlings were planted in Murama and Rukara Sectors on about 113 hectors of land - during which farmers were encouraged to produce quality coffee which had the potential of fetching better prices. Farmers were also urged to increase the land acreage on which they grow coffee. Theoneste Bizimana, the head of Twisungane Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative urged farmers to ensure value addition before selling their produce. “Unless we add value to our coffee before taking it to the market, we shall not profit from coffee farming,” he told farmers. Philbert Munyenganda, the Executive Secretary of Murama Sector, also urged farmers to be more active and use their land optimally for maximum production. He advised farmers to plant selected seeds which yield reasonable produce through use of fertilisers. On reports that some farmers had sold off fertilisers which they had received for enhancing their farming activities , Munyenganda cautioned them against the practice, saying it hampers their efforts of boosting local production. Ends
