KIGALI, 6 August 2008 (IRIN) - Rwanda's plans to transform the agricultural sector from traditional subsistence to market-driven, commercial farming will help improve food security, a senior official said.

Agriculture and animal resources minister Christopher Bazivamo said the government's priorities included the reduction of soil erosion, which had washed away about 15 million metric tonnes of fertile soil in the past decade.

It would also increase the amount of terraced land from 193,735 hectares to 1 million by next year and reclaim marshland, using part of a US$41 million grant from the World Bank.

The grant, according to Victoria Kwakwa, the Bank's country manager in Rwanda, includes $35 million for land reclamation over four years and $6 million for the microfinance sector.

However, an infusion of cash alone would not transform the agricultural sector, according to specialists. An economist at Rwanda's state university in Butare, who requested anonymity, told IRIN the sector faced several constraints.

These included land fragmentation, poor farming methods, poor planting materials, reduced soil fertility, soil erosion and changing weather patterns.

"If government can adequately put in place measures to address these constraints, then we could see a gradual transformation of the sector," he explained.

Bazivamo, while admitting that much of the land was fragmented, said the farmers could still adopt commercial farming methods suitable for small pieces of land. These include fruit and flower growing, zero-grazing for livestock and poultry farming.

Rwanda, he added, had identified five major food crops whose production it would try to triple next year, namely rice, maize, potatoes, soybeans and beans. It would also try to increase output of the traditional cash crops, coffee and tea.

According to Rwanda's Vision 2020 strategy, the government plans to ensure timely distribution to farmers of agricultural inputs such as pesticides, fertilisers, and improved seeds. It will also improve crop husbandry methods, especially those that facilitate water retention in soils, to cope with the changing weather patterns.

Commenting on the short-term strategies, Rwandan social activist Habimana Jeremy said soil erosion control and increased acreage of terraced land would not necessarily guarantee that food production would triple next year.

According to government statistics, Rwanda has so far failed to restore annual agricultural production to levels registered before the 1994 genocide. There are also fears that output could drop due to unpredictable weather conditions.

This year, the main harvesting season is expected to start in November, but many rural and urban areas are already facing food shortages, which have sent local food prices soaring by more than 50 percent. The situation, experts say, is partly a result of increased population pressure.

In February, the government announced plans to control population growth, saying this would ease rising poverty and food insecurity. With more than eight million people living on 26,338 sqkm of land and high birth rates, Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries.

nb/eo/mw

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