The Ministry of Agriculture of Agriculture through the National Agricultural Exports Board (NAEB), has embarked on a programme to initiate apple farming in the country.Speaking to The New Times yesterday, François Muhizi, the official in charge of fruits at NAEB, said his institution has procured 6,000 apple seedlings from Uganda, adding that they would this week purchase another 6,000 seedlings. He announced that a total of 12,000 seedlings will this month be planted in a farm owned by Miyove central prison and Nyankenke and Kaniga sectors of Gicumbi District, Northern Province.He said NAEB would in September plant more seedlings on a 1,000 hectares of land in Giswati area of Nyabihu District.“NAEB has so far identified five districts including Gicumbi, Gakenke, Burera, Musanze and Ngororero as areas suitable for growing of apples. I believe that this would help the government in reducing the money spent on imported apples” Muhizi noted.He said that NAEB would grow apples on at least 1,500 hectares of land especially in Gishwati area in the first phase.He said the programme would be implemented by a group of Turkish investors adding that the variety of apples to be grown are of better-quality and mature within two years.Mhizi noted that apples are often imported from South Africa and some parts of Uganda, pointing out that the country still imports mangoes from Burundi.He disclosed that his institution had already carried out trials at targeted sites.“As an institution mandated to export Rwandan agricultural products to regional and international markets, we have put in place mechanisms and strategies which will enable our country to begin exporting apples and other fruits to other countries” Muhizi underscored.He noted that NAEB has a budget of about Rwf400 million to be spent on growing of apples, adding that other activities will cater for horticultural development particularly fruits and vegetables.In an interview with The New Times yesterday, the Permanent Secretary in the agriculture ministry, Ernest Ruzindaza said that apple farming would also facilitate various government efforts to alleviate cases of malnutrition in the country.“The objective of this initiative is to reduce the importation of apples because Rwanda has the capacity to produce them instead of importing them.”He added that the initiative is vital in boosting the country’s economy and improving the social welfare of Rwandans in general.He said apples have a huge untapped market globally, announcing that his ministry would sensitise farmers and other stakeholders to engage in growing of apples on a large scale. He mentioned this would help the country to obtain more foreign exchange in the near future.Commenting on the undertaking, the proprietor of Ultimate supermarket in Kimironko sector Robinah Kantengwa said; “I thank the government of Rwanda for the initiative because this will help us to buy them (apples) at affordable prices and thereby sell them to consumers at cheaper rates.”Currently, an apple retails at Rwf300, which she pointed out is unaffordable to many. She called for mobilisation of the population to engage in growing the fruit. “According to my analysis and experience as a businesswoman who also deals in selling apples, there is high demand for apples in the country but majority of people fail to because they are quite expensive.”
