Irrigation filling the country’s food basket

The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, has successfully held its first Irrigation Week to raise awareness and demonstrate the impact of irrigation on sustainable food security and economic development for Rwandan farmers. This comes at a time when government has prioritized irrigation as a means to achieve sustainable food security in the face of climate change. Irrigated hillsides and marshlands are (food baskets) areas which can offer continuous food production for Rwanda. Prime Minister Mernerd Makuza launched National Irrigation Week on 23 March 2011 in the Eastern Province. This involved the launching of the irrigation schemes, rehabilitated by the Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP) and funded by the World Bank. The ceremony started at Muvumba Perimeter 5 dam, which is irrigating 140 hectares, increasing rice production in Nyagatare District to 540 hectares. A visit was also paid by Makuza to the Muvumba Perimeter 8 marshland, comprising 1500 hectares of land under rehabilitation. This marshland will enable rice production to be increased by 20,000 tons a year, completing in December 2011. He later launched the Rwagitima marshland in Gatsibo District, consisting of two dams which will irrigate 575 hectares and which has increased rice production to more than 1000 hectares. At each site the Right Honourable Prime Minister was welcomed by farmers who thanked the government for its investment in ensuring food security. In particular, one farmer spoke of the opportunity of rice planting for the first time. She explained how her life will be improved by the new income she will receive from such harvest, which she expects will lead to food security, schooling for her children, and even health insurance. She expressed her appreciation for the training she received in rice cultivation and cooperative management from RSSP. Makuza emphasized the importance of irrigation for food production in Rwanda, particularly for the Eastern Province which is prone to drought. He encouraged the farmers to maximise these investments made to increase production, both for their own consumption, and for the market. Rugeramigozi DamRSSP Project Coordinator, Jolly Dusabe said: “The Ministry of Agriculture has committed to address the rice deficit by increasing Rwanda’s rice production. RSSP is supporting the Ministry to achieve this goal by expanding, and maximising the areas available for rice production through marshland irrigation. This week, the Project launched five dams which irrigate 1,600 hectares, producing 22,400 tons of paddy rice and benefiting 7,000 farmers. By the end of this year, with the rehabilitation of Muvumba Perimeter 8 and other marshlands around the country, it is expected that Rwanda will be self-sufficient and able to export rice. Marshland development offers high returns to investment with infrastructure costs regained in the first year of production and good profits for farmers. The Project is completing its second phase ahead of schedule and is already preparing for the third phase which envisages the rehabilitation of 4,000 further hectares of marshland in the next two years. The Ministry expects that paddy rice production will increase by a further 40,000 tons in 2012. Several other launches took place during Irrigation Week. In the Southern Province, the Honourable Vincent Karega, Minister of Infrastructure, the Honourable Stanislas Kamanzi, Minister of Environment and Land, and Honourable Agnes Kalibata, Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources launched two dams constructed by RSSP - Rugeramigozi dam in Muhanga District, and Nyarubogo dam in Nyanza District. The Ministers also launched a hillside irrigation project in Nyanza, delivered by the Land Husbandry Water Harvesting Hillside Irrigation project (LWH), which will irrigate 700 hectares on the hillsides. Irrigation Week was concluded by the launching of Cyunuzi and Rwabutazi dams in Kirehe District by the Minister of Local Government, Honourable James Musoni. These dams were constructed by KWAMP, which is funded by IFAD. Ends