Gov’t to provide market to rice and maize farmers

As production shoots up thios year, both maize, the ministry of trade and industry is putting strategies in place to provide a market to farmers. According to official figures from MINICOM, the expected total rice production for the second season is 37,727 tones while 1779 tones of maize has already been bought by both cooperatives and individuals. “Because of the new government policy of land consolidation and growing crops that best suits a particular district, maize and rice production increased significantly,” said Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the minister of trade and industry. Nsanzabaganwa also said that due to this increased production, the government decided to buy the farmers produce with the ministry of agriculture buying 7000 tones of maize. It was agreed that MINIMEX a private company with the help of the ministry will buy 8000 tones of maize at Rwf150 per kg while the prisons service will also buy 5000 tones. However, there are challenges faced in buying the produce which include lack of enough drying space by the farmers, farmers lack storage facilities for their produce. “MINICOM working with other stakeholders is extending electricity to the new built drying stations in stinda with the dying capacity of up to 90,000 tones” said Nsanzabaganwa. The ministry of agriculture is also planning to increase the total area for rice cultivation to at least 2000 hectares per year which will increase production until the country can achieve food security. Ends

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Gov’t to provide market to rice and maize farmers