News
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Rwanda targets boom in 2017
KIGALI, Rwanda - The Rwanda National Agricultural Export Board (NAEB) is pushing for an ambitious programme that will see exports of leading cash crops double by 2017.
“We have developed different strategies to increase on the quantity and also the quality of coffee and tea produced in the country and we believe this is going to increase on export earnings,” the NAEB Director in charge of production Corneille Ntakirurimana said last week.
After a reduction in the quantity and quality of tea and coffee which are the second leading export revenue earners in Rwanda next to tourism, the NAEB took on a decision to increase on production and therefore be able to participate in the big export market available.
In the last half of 2013, coffee exports earned $50million which was got during the first eleven months of the year.
This show a decline of 9.7 per cent that is from $60.9 million and therefore proves that if better production methods are not developed this crop will not go beyond US $55million even this year.
Tea production also managed to fall from the $63.9million to $56.5million during the first eleven months of the same year which is a great decline to the NAEB and the country as a whole.
He said that so far 13.650.000 tea seeds plus 8.073.000 coffee seeds had been supplied to farmers who went ahead and planted them, and he believed this was going to double quantity for the next 5 years.
NAEB again plans on constructing water dams which will help farmers be able to get water especially during the dry season which has continued to affect agriculture in the country.
“We want to construct water dams, build water reservoirs from which farmers can be able to irrigate and draw water for their crops”, noted Ntakirutimana.This board again wants to increase agricultural skills among farmers which will again help produced quality products worth going to international market. By 2017, NAEB hopes to see an increase in coffee earnings to $147million and that of tea to $157million which is a big step and needs clear laid out strategies if the board is to achieve it.
The agricultural sector of Rwanda employees over 80% of the population which is mainly in the rural areas and therefore to help people be able to get good income, food and also increase on the country’s gross domestic product, this is why such a sector needs more support which will again improve on peoples’ livelihood.
By Agnes Bateta, Sunday, January 19th, 2014