Business News

Kagame At Ifad

President Paul kagame has stated that the right policies and adequate investment in agriculture can increase food production while protecting the environment.

This as affirmed that smallholder agriculture in most developing countries is the source of livelihood and food supply. The president was delivering a key note address at the annual meeting of the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) in Rome early today.

He says agricultural GDP in the country has grown at an average of 8%, ensuring food security and higher incomes for farmers President Kagme urged IFAD member countries to learn from agricultural models that have worked and use them to suit smallholder farmers.

He gave the example of Land consolidation in the country which has reduced the cost of protecting scattered lands and increased production for small-scale farmers

Adding Rwanda has also controlled Erosion by planting trees and digging terraces to protect land against heavy rains and wind He also said long term weather forecasts and advice from the ministry of agriculture to farmers on best varieties of crops to be planted has helped boost agricultural production

And a significant increase in output from smallholder farms has had a noticeable impact on the lives of the people in the country.

Meanwhile the President IFAD, Kanayo Nwanze at the meeting announced establishment of Agriculture Adaptation Smallholder Fund to support small farmers.

Adding the work they will undertake in the coming years will contribute directly towards meeting the first goal, of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and hunger. He says IFAD expects to reach 80 to 90 million people by 2015.