Last week, the government launched the Agriculture Technology Demonstration Centre (RATDC), in Rubona, Huye District.The facility is expected to provide advanced and applicable up-to-date technology to enhance food security, increase income for farmers and promote better environment-friendly methods of farming.Agriculture is the country’s biggest employer, providing jobs to close to 90 per cent of Rwanda’s population.Food production could, however, be easily compromised if there is no proper planning and good strategies to boost the sector.One of the biggest challenges to African farmers is limited technical support and advisory services. Apart from financial aid, farmers need to be supported with improved seed varieties and modern techniques to enable them double their output.Agriculture research centres should be able to develop drought resistant, drought tolerant and disease resistant varieties, tackle pests, and multiply new varieties faster, in an effort to improve yield per acreage.But you cannot achieve this without carrying out appropriate research. Therefore, local researchers should be given all the necessary support, including well-equipped laboratories, and building their capacity to realise groundbreaking findings.Also, mechanisms should be in place to follow on programmes, like multiplication of disease resistant varieties. Only then shall local farmers transform from the traditional way of farming and adopt latest technologies.
