Experts are optimistic that intensive research is needed to yield resistant food varieties to fight food insecurity and curb the volatility in global foods prices. Dr Aime Lala Razafinjara of Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) says that improved varieties will increase the production needed to counter high demand for food, which is responsible for escalating prices.“The challenge is always climate change which affects productivity. What we need to do is to help farmers overcome such situations,” he said during his tour in Rwanda last week.ASARECA is a non-political organisation of the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) working in 10 countries of Burundi, D. R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It aims at increasing the efficiency of agricultural research in the region so as to facilitate economic growth, food security and export competitiveness through productive and sustainable agriculture.Razafinjara says that supporting small scale farmers will result into poverty reduction and increase food security. He adds “The most important thing for governments is to become food secure and independent if they are to attain growth and development for their citizens.ASARECA together with Rwanda Agricultural Board has been supporting Rwanda farmers with improved banana variety which boosted farmers’ incomes. “We provide farmers with improved plantlets and later we buy their bananas to use in our wine industry and this has increased incomes in their homes,” Christen Murebwayire, president of COPROVIBA, a farmer cooperative based in Eastern province saidMoreover, Philip Kiriro of East African farmers’ federation (EAFF) believes that more is needed in form of governments’ support to small scale farmers especially in availing fertilizers to improve the quality of soils.“Increasing inputs to farmers and promoting value addition in the whole value chain will increase production which we need to be food secure and also give farmers income,” he saidThe country’s national average of fertilizer use currently stands at 30 kg/ha/annum compared to 6 kg/ha in 2006 boosted by land consolidation initiatives and provision of extension services.The Minister of Finance John Rwanngombwa notes that the government will this fiscal year support improved market access for agricultural produce through supporting value addition in tea, coffee and horticulture commodities.Again, emphasis is put to Strengthening of post-harvest storage program to ensure food security continued through the construction of several strategic grain reserve facilities in various parts of the country and large scale marshland irrigation.
