............Gicumbi district benefits from agriculture revolution   By George Kalisa WALLOPING poverty, food shortages, i gnorance and land fragmentation dominated Rwanda’s northern district of Gicumbi six years ago. However, the leadership has provided seeds, taught people about terracing, land consolidation, zero grazing, food security and income-generating projects.   Sitting on a total surface area of 829 square kilometres, most of which is mountainous, with rainfall distribution of over 1600mm annually and a population of 364,000, Gicumbi is one of Rwanda’s 30 districts that has registered unprecedented fast development in the last six years. Before, agriculture was subsistence. Ildephonse Butera, the Vice Mayor of Gicumbi district in charge economic affairs says development has not come about to his district as a miracle. He attributes progress to president Kagame’s zeal to fight poverty that has led to the establishment of several income-generating activities and other initiatives for modernisation of agriculture. These include; Gira Inka project, introduction of terracing; land consolidation.   Kagame’s commitment to improving the wellbeing of Rwandans is in line with the new Constitution. Entrenched therein is the right to life, information, defence and welfare for all Rwandans. To diversify income-generating activities the residents are also encouraged keep hybrid pigs, rabbits and engaging in bee keeping and poultry farming. The wastes from the animals are used as manure to complement the industrial fertilizers. “Today we supply 33,000 litres of milk per day to Kigali basically from the cows that President Kagame gave the families in Gicumbi under the Gira Inka project (a cow for every poor family) and after each family has had enough milk for the family members,” Butera told The New Vision.   “We started with 446 fertilised heifers, which have multiplied to 4,665 cows,” Butera added. He said the use Mondays to meet and exchange knowledge on the care of the cow and to sensitize people on the need to produce few children to counter the problems of high population density.   Some of the terraces that have been established in Gicumbi In a bid to break the syndrome of depending on traditional food crops like irish potatoes, beans and maize, the rural farmers are encouraged to grow other crops including wheat and creeping beans. Butera said the projects have spread to all the 21 sectors and 109 villages that constitute the district and the residents were reaping the fruits of crop diversification. He said the land under terraces has increased from 100 hectares of 660 hectares in four years. Residents The New Vision spoke to expressed gratitude to Rwanda’s Agriculture ministry for the provision of farm equipment and tools at subsidised prices, affordable to all the citizens. They cited industrial fertilizers, modern seeds, lime, pesticides, spray pumps and tree seedlings.   The ministry also provides free technical services. Agronomists organise training of rural farmers to equip them with skills like modern agricultural practices and marketing skills. All these combined efforts, they said, account for increased productivity per hectare. The agricultural activities are coordinated and overseen by Rwanda Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and Rwanda Animal Resources Development Authority (RALDA) that came into existence within the last six years. RADA consists of the seed development unit and crop production unit. The former’s role is to identify seed multipliers on every village, who serve as conduits through which the seeds can reach the farmers. Asked how they get the money, they said the government through Ubudehe, another poverty reduction programme; each village gets 66,000 Rwandese francs for financing a village project. Francois Mugiraneza, an agricultural officer from RADA said introducing land consolidation was another breakthrough. Mugiraneza said Gicumbi was one of the districts that suffered low production before the countrywide campaign for agriculture revolution. Land consolidation is going on Nyiramiyaga, Rubavu, Kaniga, Miyove and Cyumba. The citizens are encouraged by the local leaders to live in settlement called imidugudu.