Farmers who produce juice and jam from strawberry are set to double production capacity as they plan to grow the new strawberry variety dubbed "Bravura strawberry variety” that was recently imported from the Netherlands.
Emmanuel Mporwiki is the president of the 24-member COOPEDUSH cooperative which was started in 2009 by university graduates and other members.
The cooperative, based in Karongi District, embraced agro-processing in 2010 after finding it hard to get a market for all their fruits produce that was harvested from five hectares.
He said that the cooperative produces juice and jam from strawberry and are in the process of acquiring the new imported straw variety on 30 acres.
He said the cooperative has been outsourcing strawberries from other cooperatives, saying growing the variety on their own is promising to provide them with enough raw materials to produce juices and jam.
"We planted in February this year and we started harvesting after three months. We are harvesting at least 100 Kilogrammes per week and we sell at Rwf3, 000 per Kilogramme. Because it is a trial we plan to expand them to a bigger area,” he said.
The crop takes only 90 days to mature and start harvesting.
With the new variety, farmers harvest twice a week in a period of up to three years, before production begins to plummet.
"We produce over 1,300 litres of juice from strawberry per month selling one Kilogramme at Rwf3, 000 for concentrated juice. We also produce 30 Kilogrammes of jam per week. However we have been outsourcing at least 300 Kilogrammes of old strawberry variety in Rutsiro district from KOABUNYA-TWITEZIMBERE to produce juice and jam,” he said.
KOABUNYA-TWITEZIMBERE cooperative which grows strawberries on 20 hectares on which it has been harvesting between one and two tonnes of strawberry per week is also trying new strawberry varieties that could increase yields.
"By growing the new strawberry variety on our own land, it could double our production capacity. Our demand for strawberry produce is set to increase to at least over 1,000 Kilogrammes every week from 300 Kilogrammes in order to double our production capacity,” Mporwiki added.
Elie Habimana, the president of COVAMABA cooperative in Rulindo district said that the new variety is adapting to the local climate.
"We have so far harvested three times. They are still maturing because they have not yet bloomed at 100 percent. We tried them on 25 acres and we are harvesting at least 60 Kilogrammes a week. We have a big demand from hotels and dealers from Kigali and other cities,” he said.
Reducing trade deficit
Expanding the new varieties, Peter Ntaganda, the Advisor to the Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources recently said that it could reduce trade deficit as Rwanda imports over 200 tonnes of strawberry per year.
At least 70,000 seedlings of ‘Bravura variety’ were planted on 1.5 hectare in five districts namely Rwamagana, Rulindo, Muhanga, Rutsiro and Karongi under the support of the ministry of agriculture and Agriterra through the HortInvest project.
Renovat Muhire, an agricultural adviser at Agriterra organization said agricultural experts are monitoring farmers to advise them on strawberry farming.
"The varieties adapt to local climate and the harvest is better. Although farmers have started to harvest, they have also faced different challenges. Some have faced floods, others lacked mulch to support the crop and others will have to embrace irrigation during the dry season.
The general issue that requires attention is how to control any diseases that attack strawberries such as Anthracnose that cause losses to farmers especially during the rainfall period. The chemicals that control diseases such as diseases are not available on the local market currently,” he said.
He added that other challenges include the attack of animals from Gishwati forest that damage the strawberry in Rutsiro district.
"This can discourage farmers from growing the crop in this area because they can’t get expected harvest,” he said.