Firm trains cassava farmers

NGOMA - The Rwanda Rural and Rehabilitation Initiative (RRWARI) on Wednesday trained 109 farmers on modern ways of growing cassava. The trainees were drawn from Kayonza, Ngoma and Rwamagana districts. Officials said the training, which is being implemented in other districts, is aimed at boosting cassava production, in order to address food shortages. Cassava is one of the specialised crops currently being promoted in the three districts, under the land consolidation programme. “Cassava is an important crop but it can only be helpful to farmers if it is grown using a better form of husbandry. There are planting procedures that very few farmers follow, which is why they have been having low yields ,” Celestin Hitimana, the project director in charge of cooperatives and associations said. The district agriculture officer, Emanuel Ngezahumuremyi, said the district intends to equip farmers with diverse skills including crop management, product development and marketing. The district intends to give peasants improved varieties of cassava stems for planting, he added. “There is no magic involved. If you use high quality cuttings to plant cassava, you can increase the yield of your next cassava crop,” he said. Talking to The New Times, the participants expressed optimism that they would use the acquired knowledge to improve crop production in their respective districts. “We now know how to plant high quality cassava. In planting for instance, you consider the kind of cassava varieties from which you take the cuttings. We are now set to increase our yields ,” said one of the trainees Donatha Zaninka. Ends