EASTERN PROVINCE RWAMAGANA—Banana growers from Eastern Province have been urged to increase production and focus the efforts on the new ‘Green Revolution.’ Calling it a pillar of development at last week’s meeting held at Deleva hotel, Senator Beatrice Mukabaramba told banana growers to use Rwanda’s favourable tropical climate to produce bananas in abundance. Explained that there were plenty of markets in Asia, Europe and North America, where there isn’t favorable climate for the growth of bananas, Rwanda had to seize the opportunity to become ‘important’ in the worldwide industry. “This is in line with the Green Revolution; a government vision for Rwandan farmers to specialize in growing crops suitable in their regions. In addition to coffee, banana plantations have been identified as suitable crops that can grow well in Eastern Province due to its pure African tropic climate.” Anthony Bagirishya, an agronomist working with COVIBAR; a local spirits-production company said that most of the bananas used in the production of his drinks were imported from Ntungamo, Uganda but it would be very possible for them to be produced within Rwanda itself. That company currently spends Frw15 million monthly on importation. The need to sensitize Rwandan banana growers was felt after Rwandan banana produced the best spirit world over. “Indeed in our pilot study Vallendar emerged the best spirit world over,” said Hubertus Vallendar, manager of the company. He then promised to work hand-in-hand with province authorities and other interested stakeholders to build a banana spirits factory in Eastern Province. Roughly 150 delegates attended the meeting, including vice-mayors in charge economic development for all districts in Eastern Province, representatives of banana cooperative growers, individual banana growers, and bank and district officials. Ends
