The major industrial and agriculture projects that are currently underway in Nyagatare district will significantly reduce the rate of unemployment in the district, according to the mayor.Nyagatare Mayor, Fred Atuhe said that that even though unemployment was still rampant among people between the ages of 18-45, it would soon end.He said Kirimburi rice project in Tabagwe Sector, which is expected produce at least 21,000 tonnes of rice annually, would employ between 5,000 and 8,000 people.“Rice farming is labour intensive in nature...the active age group will definitely be engaged all the year. By employing the young energetic, we shall be tackling the problem by the horns,” he said.Kirimburi, which is on 1500 hectares, was formerly used for keeping long horned traditional cows that produced almost no profits.Mayor Atuhe noted that agricultural transformation was starting to bear fruits across communities.“Where a hectare produced Rwf 200,000, now yields Rwf 6 million. This is the reality we live today. Nyagatare alone will produce all the rice the country currently imported.”Atuhe further said that a granite factory, East African Granite Industry, located in Rutaraka village was also expected to employ between 5000 and 10,000 people.“We have many other small scale industries, employing thousands...the issue of unemployment will be history, as more industries continue to mushroom,” Atuhe protected.Jean Damascene Ndushabandi, who works with the rice project as a casual labourer, said that the existence of big projects was a blessing.“We no longer feel bothered by how to make ends meet...there are so many areas one can go and get money. You hardly find unemployed youth loitering in business centres...the future is bright,” he said.The Kirimburi project, which is awaiting the first harvest, is estimated to generate an annual income of Rwf4.5billion, while, the granite factory, is expected to explore the tile market in the region of about $97.4m.
