CATAS, a Chinese firm has vowed to support Rwandan farmers to cultivate crops that can grow in the region.
This was cited after the Chinese firm Chinese Academy for Tropical Agriculture Science (CATAS) which focuses on research on crops that grow in Africa closed a training workshop that saw local farmers skilled on cultivation and processing technologies of tropical food crops.
The workshop took place last August 21 in Rubona district the Southern Province where 50 cooperative and Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) members imparted more modern farming skills.
Farmers and RAB members were trained the growing of cassava, its pests and pesticides, how to select good seedlings, the cultivation of rice much like the same to improve quality and weight of yields.
During the three weeks training, Rwanda farmers and agriculturalists learned that agriculture in their country faces severe circumstances or challenges compared to China, a fast growing world economy.
Farmers in Rwanda have less land to farm per square meter compared to China where there is still large farming land which means there is increased crop production.
Niyoyita Shaffy, RAB agriculture production secretary in the Wester province, notes that there is need for fertile land that can help the propagated seeds yield reasonable tonnage at the end of the season.umukozi wa RAB ushinzwe gutunganya umusasuro mu Ntara y’Iburengerazuba na we wahuguwe, yavuze ko imwe mu mbogamizi iri mu buhinzi mu Rwanda ari ubutaka buto, bityo hakaba hakeneye ko imbuto zihari zera umusaruro mwinshi kuri ubwo butaka.
“The Chinese trained us to mutate seeds so that they can produce enough yields,” he says.
But climate change is also another factor that keeps the yields very low, there is also poor storage and management that affects the whole agricultural product.
Dr. Marc Cyubahiro Bagabe, RAB Executive director, adds that Rwanda still needs a lot of skills from China and intends to send more graduates in agriculture to study their PHD which in turn would help increase the quality of agro-production in the country.
“We need skills much as to manage the growing gap of challenges in the agriculture sector,” he says.
China is complying with the bilateral agreements between the two governments that was agreed on during President Paul Kagame’s visit to Asian country in Mach.
The agreement according to the In-Charge of Economy and Agriculture in the Chinese Embassy in Kigali, Zhang Liyong, says they will support the agriculture sector, health sector and also invest in infrastructure development.
China now is engaged in the construction of the 54km in Kigali, the Huye-Munini and Masaka roads and supports the Musanze Polytechnique school.
The beneficiaries of the training noted that they were impressed by the Chinese expertise in the T 10 – 13/Ha rice species which they are interested in growing.
“In China the research is done on a number of different crop species which helps them know how to grow them and deal with their diseases,” the trainees say.
The two countries are expecting to sign another agreement between CATAS and RAB.
