KAYANZA May 30th (ABP) – Few farmers of Muruta commune in Kayanza province consult the plant clinic operational in that commune about two years ago. The communal agronomist in Muruta, Isidore Niyonzima, indicates that this results from different causes, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
According to Mr. Niyonzima, nearly 100 people have come to that clinic for examinations of their plants showing symptoms of different diseases. He pointed out that among the challenges faced by the said clinic, there is the lack of awareness among the people on the functioning, the importance of that clinic and the fact that some villages are far from the clinic, which forces farmers to long journeys to get there.
The lack of agricultural input shops in Muruta commune is also one of the challenges. Niyonzima pointed out that medicine can be prescribed for plants and farmers fail to find them, leading them to downgrade the plant clinic, he said.
As for the plant diseases frequently detected, the communal agronomist of Muruta cited the fall armyworm, the African armyworm, vicerons, bacteriosis, mildew, and many others.
To remedy the above challenges, the same agricultural authority in Muruta proposes massive sensitization of the people on the true merits of plant clinics, the multiplication of such clinics up to the level of the zones and the multiplication of input shops so that farmers can get them easily. He also asked to make available the means of transport for the plant doctors for their field work to be easy. Their task is to identify the fields containing crops attacked by the diseases, in order to make examinations and prescribe adequate treatments.