No manpower problems in agric mechanisation

Editor, RE: “Minagri has capacity to maintain farm implements” (The New Times, August 11). I truly appreciate and understand Mr Nziyonsenga’s concern on agriculture mechanisation. However, he is missing out on the latest updates and seems to be only interested in the negative side. Minagri (the Ministry of Agriculture) initiated this programme in 2009/10 to promote appropriate farm mechanisation options to farmers, provide access to farm machinery and develop broad based skills in farm machinery and implements. With no private sector in play at the time, Minagri imported over 110 tractors, and had to train operators and technicians within a short period to operate and maintain them and serve the high demand that had been already created especially in the Eastern Province. Be informed that Minagri had trained technicians and operators at the start of the programme but with not enough experience since this was a new technology in Rwanda. Yet tractors are not like on-road vehicles—they do heavy works of plowing and this time on the virgin soils, thus you will expect frequent breakdowns for the first fleet of machines. Yet, there has been a tremendous achievement, from 3% in 2009 to 13% in 2015, mechanising over 19,000 ha with that stretched and limited resources. This meant that Minagri had to overuse the available resources as well laying ground for the private sector to learn and take over the services of hiring and selling of farm machinery, and this has been achieved. Therefore, finding one or two machines broken down does not call for a quick negative report and/or mean lack of skills but calls for a deep understanding of the cause. To give more information, mechanisation does not mean tractors—it means use of all machinery from land preparation, planting, plant protection, harvesting and processing machinery. Some of these machines, especially processing and post-harvest machinery, are manufactured and certified here in Rwanda. To further develop skills in mechanisation, the Government of Rwanda (Minagri/RAB), in collaboration with TVET Gishari Integrated Polytechnique) and IPRC-South), have started training courses in operation, handling and maintenance of farm machines. And since it is no longer a new technology in Rwanda, they are learning by experience. Let me hope the machines inspected at RAB centres are not the ones imported in early 90s because they are also still parked at the centres. JB Talemwa

Opinions

No manpower problems in agric mechanisation