Ten years ago, Emmanuel Musabyimana, a resident of Kinigi Sector in Musanze District, ventured into wheat farming, seeking to tap into the high demand for the cereal. He could not have chosen a better region for his agriculture adventures as Northern Province is deemed suitable for wheat growing. With government sensitising farmers to grow more wheat so as to offset demand that outstripped supply, the timing was also perfect. Today, Musabyimana produces at least 10 tonnes of wheat every season, which he sells to local residents, at a price he says is very low. This is despite the existence of wheat processing factories such as Pembe, Azam, Azania and Gitare maize—which still rely on imports for their inputs. Another factory, SOTIRU in Musanze District, was forced to close shop some years ago due to shortage of wheat supplies, according to the district authorities. Musabyimana, who is expecting a bumper harvest from his 100 acres of land, is worried he might get stuck with his produce as processors have rejected locally produced wheat, citing poor quality. “They (wheat processors) tell us that the varieties we grow here are not good for wheat flour for baking bread,” he said. Musabyimana and other farmers have, on several occasions engaged public officials on the matter, including officials from Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB). RAB, he said, promised to give farmers better varieties of seeds. “Nothing has been done to help us,” he said. Innocent Dufatanye, another farmer from Nyange Sector in Musanze District, said they sell their wheat at Rwf320 a kilogramme. To make a profit, he argues, the farm gate price for a kilogramme of wheat should be between Rwf400 and Rwf500. “There is no motivation to grow wheat here. We grow it as a way of crop rotation so that our soil can remain fertile. We want RAB to help us get the seeds needed to meet the quality standards needed by the industry,” he said. Rwanda produces between 60,000 and 70,000 tonnes of wheat every year. Jean Nepo Niyonambaza, in the charge of Standard and Quality at Pembe Industry in Gicumbi District, said that wheat grown locally does not meet the factory’s standards. “Rwanda Standard Bureau requires us to use wheat with a maximum humidity of 14. However, the local wheat has more than that, in some cases we find wheat with 15,” he said. Charles Bucagu, the Deputy Director General in Charge of Agriculture Research at RAB, said the lack of market is being addressed as some processing firms have signed purchase agreements to buy inputs from local farmers. “In Northern Province and Southern Province, we have BAKRHESA which accepted to buy all wheat production, but with the standard required standard,” he said. The farmers are required to gather their produce in warehouses and negotiate prices collectively, he said. “We want to mechanise some activities in wheat farming, especially harvesting, as it is the stage where quality is mostly lost,” Bucagu added. Concerning the varieties grown in Rwanda, which are often rejected by factories, Bucagu said RAB has already introduced 10 new varieties. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
