Rwanda officially launched the 2027A agricultural season on October 10, with Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva urging farmers to increase production and make better use of available resources rather than rely on foreign assistance.
Nsengiyumva joined farmers in Nyarububa wetland, located in Rukozo and Cyungo sectors of Rulindo District in the Northern Province, to launch the season by planting crops.
The wetland is cultivated by 1,302 farmers organised under KOYAKIRU Cooperative and covers 97.27 hectares. Of this area, 96.97 hectares, representing 99.6 per cent, had already been planted. Maize was planted on the remaining 0.3 hectares during Saturday’s launch, which attracted about 3,000 participants.
The Prime Minister called on farmers, particularly those in Rulindo, to increase agricultural output and strengthen self-reliance.
“As you know, we should be Rwandans who take pride in themselves and are self-reliant. As the saying goes, help from home arrives after the rain has passed. Those who help us do so today, but we cannot be certain they will return tomorrow. We must therefore take good care of what we have achieved,” he said.
Nsengiyumva also addressed concerns raised by farmers over an irrigation system in the wetland that they said was no longer functioning.
He urged farmers to help maintain agricultural infrastructure built for their benefit, warning that neglecting such facilities could undermine productivity.
“We must ensure that we do not allow infrastructure provided to us to fall into disrepair. If we are given such facilities, we must make an effort to maintain them. When they fail, we go back to where we started, harvesting two tonnes instead of the six tonnes we had reached,” he said.
Meanwhile, Agriculture and Animal Resources Minister Telesphore Ndabamenye joined farmers in Bugarama Sector, Rusizi District, in the Western Province, to launch the season at Makaro agricultural site.
The site covers 137 hectares. During the launch, maize was planted on two hectares and cassava on half a hectare.
The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) said 765,000 hectares are expected to be cultivated nationwide during the 2027A season.
Of this area, 100,000 hectares will be cultivated using soil-conservation practices, while 246,000 hectares will be in designated agricultural zones, including 100,000 hectares earmarked for particular attention.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources said maize, beans, rice and soya beans would be among the priority crops during the season.
The government has also urged people who own large tracts of land but do not cultivate them to make the land available to other farmers to help increase production.
About 61,000 tonnes of mineral fertiliser will be needed during the season, including more than 25,000 tonnes produced locally.
Season 2027A, also known as the short-rains season, is one of Rwanda’s major agricultural seasons because crops are grown during the rainy period.
