The Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva called on farmers and local authorities in Rulindo District to properly maintain agricultural infrastructure, warning that neglecting completed projects undermines efforts to increase production and improve livelihoods.

He made the remarks on Saturday, October 10, during the launch of the 2027A agricultural season in the Nyarububa marshland, where he joined farmers and other residents in planting maize.

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The launch of the 2027A agricultural season brought together farmers and local leaders to review preparations for the season and efforts to improve production.

The marshland spans 97.27 hectares across Rukozo and Cyungo sectors and is cultivated by 1,302 members of the KOYAKIRU Cooperative.

The site is mainly planted with maize, potatoes and vegetables. However, damaged irrigation canals and water-storage infrastructure, as well as drying facilities built under the Second Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP II), have disrupted water supply to the fields.

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The Prime Minister urged residents and local authorities to protect existing infrastructure, saying its proper management is necessary to sustain agricultural production and support economic development.

"We cannot continue to have infrastructure that is meant to help us, only for it to deteriorate after completion. That is why we must take good care of what we have achieved,” Nsengiyumva said.

"These projects were put in place to help us develop. We must protect them and use them to increase production and improve our livelihoods instead of allowing them to deteriorate.”

The Prime Minister assured residents that the government would help repair the damaged irrigation infrastructure, but urged them to take better care of public facilities to prevent similar damage in the future, noting that other areas also need government support.

He also called for greater preparedness for forecast heavy rainfall, urging residents in high-risk areas to move to safer locations where necessary.

"We have been warned that there will be heavy rainfall, so we must prepare. Those living in high-risk areas should move to safer places, and any necessary improvements should be made quickly,” he said.

"We must all take precautions and make good use of the rainwater by storing it for domestic use, livestock and other needs. That too needs preparation beforehand.”

The Prime Minister also raised concerns about child stunting in the Rulindo, citing a rate of 27.1 per cent and urging local authorities to take action to address the nutrition problem.

The Mayor of Rulindo Judith Mukanyirigira said authorities had identified affected children and were following up with their households as part of efforts to address the issue.

The Prime Minister further called on residents to enrol in the community-based health insurance scheme, Mutuelle de Santé, noting that coverage in the district had reached 90.7 per cent and the remaining people should also pay their contributions.

Mukanyirigira also said that the district was targeting an increase in agricultural production, with maize yields per hectare expected to rise from 6.5 tonnes to eight tonnes.

"We have rehabilitated two drying facilities that had fallen into disrepair and, in partnership with development partners we are organising training for farmers, particularly maize growers, to improve post-harvest handling and help them address challenges related to finding markets for their produce,” she said.

She said maize farmers had faced difficulties finding markets for their produce, making post-harvest handling and access to market information important areas of intervention.

"And with addressing all these challenges we hope the yield will go up too.”

Nyarububa is among the Food Basket Sites selected in Rulindo to increase agricultural yields per hectare.