The government on Tuesday announced the release of new iron-rich bean varieties that could provide more iron in the diets of millions of Rwandese who eat beans every day.In an interview with The New Times yesterday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), Ernest Ruzindaza, said there are 13 new climbing bean varieties which were released on Tuesday, including five of them which are bio-fortified that are rich in iron and zinc.“The main objective of launching these new varieties of beans is in line with the government program of fighting malnutrition among the population because the new types of beans are rich in iron and zinc and this will help in reducing anaemia among Rwandans,” Musabyimana said.According to Ruzindaza, the new iron-rich bean varieties were bred by the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) in partnership with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) using conventional breeding methods.He said the new varieties of beans are resistant to different major diseases and pests which attack beans and will help in increasing the production of beans in the country.He noted that between 3.1 tonnes to 4 tonnes of beans will be harvested on one hectare of land, whereas only around 1.5 to 2 tonnes of bush beans can be harvested on the same piece of land.He added that only 800 kilograms of the traditional beans can be harvested on one hectare of land.The beans are also highly marketable due to their large seed size and their preferred colours, including red and white that are sought for local and urban markets,The official noted that MINAGRI through Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) will work together with seed multipliers countrywide, which will help his institution to distribute the new varieties of beans among the farmers.He said after making seed multiplication for the new bean varieties, the ministry is also planning to sell the new varieties to various countries that have the same climate conditions like Rwanda.Ruzindaza added that MINAGRI has also finished fortifying Irish potatoes that the ministry plans to fortify all other types of agriculture produces which he said would help in enabling the population to eat foodstuffs which are more nutritious and health to their lives.According to Innocent Musabyimana, the Deputy Director General of RAB in charge ofAgriculture Extension, the new beans varieties have been released after 8 years of research by RAB and different international agriculture institutions on their adaptability on different types of soils in the country.Musabyimana also told The New Times that they have also released seven new types of beans called bush beans.Children and women will be the main beneficiaries of the new bean varieties, which could provide up to 30 percent of their daily iron needs, according to the source. According to a press release issued in Kigali by “HarvestPlus”, an international NGO working on agriculture research, iron deficiency is widely prevalent during childhood and adolescence in Sub-Saharan Africa, which lowers resistance to disease and impairs learning capacity. “This [iron deficiency] reduces the ability of adults for physical labour. Severe anaemia increases the risk of women dying in childbirth,” the news release said.Latest government statistics showed anaemia in Rwanda, which is used as an indicator of iron deficiency, afflicts almost one out of five non-pregnant women and 40 percent of children under five. Rwandan farmers who evaluated these beans during field trials like them because they are high yielding and resistant to major diseases and pests.
