MURAMVYA December 29th (ABP) – Rice seedling growing activities were officially launched on Monday in the Mubarazi swamps in Muramvya province (Center-West).
Those activities were attended by the administrative authorities at the provincial level, the director of cooperatives in the ministry in charge of agriculture, provincial agricultural officials, as well as the communal administrators of Mbuye and Rutegama who share the Mubarazi swamps covering 140 ha, a check by ABP revealed.
The rice farmers who exploit 50 ha of the Mubarazi swamps are grouped together in the Twese Turashoboye cooperative, are supported by the Chinese cooperation while the other rice farmers exploiting 90 ha in the same Mubarazi swamps are supported by the CIAP Agro-pastoral Investment Cooperative.
In his official launching speech for the rice growing in the Mubarazi swamps, the adviser to the Governor of Muramvya in charge of development, Mr. Emmanuel Nduwayo, greatly appreciated the fact that the rice farmers with the support of agricultural technicians at all levels of the provincial and communal administration as well as the Chinese cooperation, the ANACOOP and the CIAP combined their efforts so that the swamps are exploited on time.
The provincial development advisor asked rice farmers in the Mubarazi swamps to consider joint efforts so that the grown rice can provide the expected harvest. Advisor Nduwayo also appreciated the fact that Muramvya province is for the moment considered as a model and leader, thanks to the Mubarazi-Kaniga swamps, in the growing of quality rice which will be grown in all the provinces of the country.
The Director General of ANACOOP, Evrard Ndayikeje, testified that since his first day of arrival in those Mubarazi swamps, things have positively changed because words are joined to actions. “Before, the rice farmers did not come to listen to us, but today they come in droves.” They come and stay to prepare their fields with the help of agricultural technicians because they have already understood the importance of the work that they do for themselves.
The Director General of ANACOOP thanked the President of the Republic of Burundi who continues to support rice growers through his visits to the rice swamps in Mubarazi. Mr. Evrard Ndayikeje said that Muramvya province is for the moment considered as the model because that project is being implemented in fourteen provinces of Burundi including Muramvya which comes at the top of the ranking.
This is to be appreciated, according to the DG of ANACOOP, because the rice farmers of Muramvya hear and implement the injunctions received, he said.
In his advice to the rice-growing population, the Director General of ANACOOP informed them that rice is a crop that requires regular maintenance.
Note that the provincial director of the environment, agriculture and livestock, Ali Kassim, asked all rice growers in the Mubarazi swamps to finish growing rice seedlings before December 31st.