The government has completed a 93-kilometre network of new roads in Gishwati farms, Nyabihu District, easing long-standing transport challenges and improving access for local farmers. According to Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), the construction of the feeder roads, part of a Feeder Roads Development Project (FRDP) co-financed by the World Bank, is already improving the livelihoods of over 121,000 district residents. ALSO READ: Gishwati cattle farmers cautioned against poor milking hygiene amid bovine mastitis disease Jean Claude Habanabakize, the Vice Mayor in Charge of Economic Development, said that before the construction of roads in Gishwati, area residents struggled to get their produce to market. “Now, with the roads built, transport issues are resolved. They're also creating jobs, and mobility costs have dropped significantly because it's faster. No harvest goes to waste, and either crop or dairy farmers benefit from cheaper, easier transport. Farmers like Jean Pierre Buhuru who has worked in Gishwati since 1996 welcomed the new roads which are now boosting farming in the region. We couldn't access markets before the construction of these roads, but now it's very easy to transport milk to collection centers, he said. We used to suffer significant milk losses, but today, that's changed.” Innocente Uwimana, 42, a resident of Arusha Cell in Bigogwe Sector, said: We faced losses due to poor road conditions; milk trucks couldn't move easily. We thank the government for this. The road is now passable, and milk is collected and transported to market on time. ALSO READ: RAB calls for bee-friendly farming amid climate change Gishwati farms span four districts: Rubavu, Nyabihu, Ngororero, and Rutsiro.
