Banana, tomato intensification programme improves lives of farmers

About three years ago, Vestine Mukamasabo was a subsistence farmer who struggled to regularly meet her basic needs and support her family. Having missed the opportunity to go to school, the 35-year-old resident of Kigoma Sector, Nyanza District was introduced to agriculture while still a teenager. But for her, agriculture meant growing a mixture of traditional crops-including beans, maize, cassava and vegetables among others on her small plot of land. Mukamasabo practiced traditional subsistence agriculture for several years, something that limited her production capacity. “I used to mix many crops and that affected my output. I always struggled to regularly put food on table,” Mukamasabo said. But a few years ago, Mukamasabo was introduced to commercial farming and her life has since been transformed. In 2011, Mukamasabo trained in modern banana farming techniques and consequently tried out her luck. “At the beginning, I hesitated, thinking that growing bananas would not bring any significant change to my life but I decided to try it any way,” she said. On her half-hectare of land, Mukamasabo planted disease-resistant and high-yield banana varieties and she currently harvests up to 15 banana bunches monthly. Each bunch weighs between 35 and 50 kilogrammes and costs between Rwf5,000 and Rwf7,000, she says. “Apart from feeding my family, I also maintain a constant flow of income,” she says with a smile on her face. “I am planning to expand my plantations as a way of increasing my production because I have realised modern banana farming is highly profitable,” she adds. Mukamasabo is one of the hundreds of vulnerable individuals who have benefited from Francophone d’Appui au Developpement Local (Profadel), a project under the Ministry of Local Government which is funded by the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF). Under the project, farmers in the districts of Nyanza, Ngororero and Rutsiro were helped to come up with income generating activities which were then funded for implementation. The projects, which are mainly in the sector of agriculture, livestock farming and water infrastructure development, have so far been funded at a tune of Rwf232 million, according to Vedaste Hakizimana, the Profadel focal point at the Ministry of Local government. Last week, officials from the ministry and the OIF toured supported projects in Nyanza District to assess the impact, evaluate possible challenges and forge a way forward. Among the visited included 43 hectares of consolidated banana plantations in Kigoma Sector and green house tomato farming in Busasamana Sector. Farmers said during the visit that the projects had greatly helped transform their lives. “I have the ability to pay for medical services, feed my children and I have renovated my house,” Mukamasabo testified. Vincent Munyeshyaka, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, urged farmers to maximise profits from the support they are getting. “This should empower you to become self-reliant and achieve sustainable development,” he told them. He also called upon farmers to work hard to improve their productivity and look for ways of adding value to their products before they are sold in order to make more money. Speaking during the visit, Boubacar Noumansana, the OIF Director for the Great Lakes and Indian Ocean Region, pledged continued support to the projects as a way of ensuring that the lives of beneficiaries continue to improve. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Banana, tomato intensification programme improves lives of farmers