Speaking to IGIHE, Dr Uwituze, who was recently appointed alongside Dr Telesphore Ndabamenye, the new Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, said the new leadership at MINAGRI will focus on streamlining irrigation projects and ensuring that established schemes deliver tangible results in both food production and export-oriented crops.
She said particular emphasis will be placed on fast-tracking irrigation projects in areas already earmarked and funded for such interventions.
'We will put strong emphasis on ensuring that areas designated for irrigation and already financed move quickly through technical processes, procurement and implementation, so that national targets set for citizens are achieved without delay,' she said.
'Secondly, we will work to ensure that the irrigated schemes we have established produce sufficient food crops, as well as cash crops that earn foreign exchange for the country.'
Dr Uwituze noted that increased production must go hand in hand with improved market access, citing instances where farmers harvest produce only for it to spoil due to lack of buyers.
'If we do this well, we can achieve sufficient, high-quality production. That must be matched with market access, because there are times when produce is harvested but ends up spoiling at collection centres. These issues must be addressed in a coordinated manner,' she said.
She added that the ministry will also intensify efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture by promoting climate-smart farming practices and strengthening measures to address the impact of excessive rainfall or prolonged dry spells.
Addressing hunger in Kayonza
The issue of hunger has recently drawn attention in Kayonza District, where prolonged drought has affected residents in the sectors of Ndego, Mwiri, Kabare and Rwinkwavu.
The situation was among the factors that led to the dismissal of district officials, following reports that residents in the affected areas were facing acute food shortages due to persistent dry conditions.
The drought, marked by limited rainfall and dry conditions, has forced some residents to migrate in search of food.
This challenge is not new, as the government has often had to provide food assistance to these communities on an annual basis. However, reports indicate that local authorities failed to submit timely reports on the situation, allegedly concealing the severity of hunger in the affected sectors.
Once the central government became aware of the situation, emergency food assistance was immediately deployed. Each household is receiving beans and maize sufficient to last approximately 15 days.
A household of five people, for instance, is being provided with 37 kilograms of maize and 15 kilograms of beans. Distribution has already started across all four affected sectors.
Irrigation project under scrutiny
Kayonza District is also home to the Kayonza Irrigation and Integrated Watershed Management Project (KIIWP), a government-funded initiative that was expected to significantly improve agricultural productivity and livelihoods.
Despite substantial investment, the project has yet to deliver the anticipated results.
Dr Uwituze acknowledged the long-standing climatic challenges in the area, noting that Kayonza is known for receiving limited rainfall.
'This is an area that is naturally prone to low rainfall. What we have committed to do is to put in place daily monitoring to understand what is likely to happen and how best to prepare,' she said.
'In particular, we will allocate crop varieties that require less water and mature quickly.'
She explained that agricultural interventions in the area will be tailored to local climatic conditions rather than applying standard national programmes.
'If maize takes five months to mature, yet rainfall in the area lasts only about two months, then we must design programmes that reflect the local climate. The goal is to ensure communities do not continue to lose harvests or suffer hunger while we are present,' she said.
Dr Uwituze said that while immediate food assistance has stabilised the situation, longer-term solutions are already being implemented.
'At the moment, residents have food to eat, but we are also introducing fast-maturing crops such as sweet potatoes. We are also considering short-cycle bean varieties that mature in about 45 days, so that alongside the food aid, communities can grow and harvest their own food within a short period.'
IGIHE
