Farmers from across the country have appealed for easing of access to loans that could help them boost agriculture production.The appeal was made during the just concluded agriculture trade show where advancements in farming and agriculture were on display.Agriculture is the single largest employer, providing jobs to close to 90 per cent of Rwanda’s population, in addition to sufficiently catering for the feeding needs of the growing population.For a country that is trying to balance the export receipts, agriculture should be accorded as much support as possible.In addition to easing access to loans, farmers should also be in position to get improved seed varieties and modern farming techniques to enable them maximize output.In a world where borders have been eliminated through integration and trade treaties, the markets have grown wider. Rwandan farmers can only remain competitive if they not only improve the quality of their products, but also increase the quantity of their output.This calls for continuous support which may vary from providing advanced and applicable up-to-datetechnology to post-harvest handling. Furthermore, additional investment in agriculture research to develop drought resistant, drought tolerant and disease resistant varieties will also come in handy.
