Government rewards innovative farmers

A host of innovative farmers across the country walked home with an assortment of rewards at the end of the eighth agro exhibition in Mulindi yesterday. The best innovative farmer drove home a tractor, and others received farm equipment worth over Rwf8m. François Kanimba, the minister for trade and industry, commended the winners and encouraged others to emulate their techniques to improve. “The government has done a lot in agriculture sector. We are trying to add value to agro-production, encourage investors in farming business, introduce and increase farming infrastructure, increase production and install more agro-processing industries, undertake research and increase framers’ knowledge,” Kanimba said. Frodorath Nduwayezu, 52, a tomato farmer from Kirehe District, and Alexandre Hakizimana, 46, a banana farmer from Gisagara District, received tractors valued at Rwf3m each. Other farmers such as a one Ruzibiza, a poultry farmer from Rulindo District, and Alphonsine Mukamurara, an Irish potatoes farmer from Nyabihu District, walked away with cows and other farm equipments worth over Rwf 2m. Two extension workers, Eugenie Dukuze and Alphonse Munyaneza from Farmers Field Schools in Ngoma and Ngororero districts, respectively, were also given motorcycles to facilitate their movements.The farmers said the rewards would help them mechanise and modernise their farming to improve production. Nduwayezu, who started growing tomatoes in 1998, can harvest between 35 to 50 tonnes of tomatoes per harvest, earning Rwf17m in a season from a 4-hectare piece of farm land. He said he expanded his farm land from one to 7 hectares and bought a modern irrigation equipment to achieve his goals. “The machine I have been given is multipurpose. I will be using it to cultivate, to irrigate, to transport my production and to spray my tomatoes,” Nduwayezu said, urging other farmers to shift from subsistence to commercial farming. Alexandre Hakizimana, who started farming in 1996 on one hectare of land, has been able to enlarge his banana plantation to 5 hectares, harvesting up to 18 tonnes of banana plantains annually. Hakizimana now has two vehicles that he uses to aid his farm business. He also acquired a watering machine worth Rwf3.5 million to keep his production high even in the dry season. Hakizimana, however, plans to install an agro-processing industry to process bananas into an added value product able to compete on the international market.The one week exhibition facilitated farmers to learn from each other, sell their products and network. “We have been able to increase our customers, market and sell our products as well as meet partners,” Théodore Havugimana, from a cassava cooperative, said.James Osure, who represented foreign exhibitors, also said the exhibition promoted networking.Elysée Gatarayiha, who spoke on behalf of local exhibitors, cited branding, packaging, lack of improved seeds and transport among the challenges farmers face.

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Government rewards innovative farmers