Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) is soon distributing new tree species that will help and provide fertilizers to agricultural plants in order to grow well, Prof. Martin Shem the leader of RAB outlined yesterday during a workshop with stakeholders at Umubano Hotel.
The program is invented soon after a study was conducted in other countries and found it fruitful.
Some of the tree species that are to be planted in Rwanda include Faidherbia and Alnus Acuminata.
Faidherbia
The leaves of the Faidherbia albida tree are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. Plants that grow beneath the trees benefit from their annual leaf fall, which fertilises the soil and counteracts soil acidity.
Alnus Acuminata
Shem said that the trees are also meant to provide shade and protect against soil erosion on hill slopes, their leaves to provide soil fertilizers to the plants and can also be used as animal food.
Dr. Dennis Garrity, a representative of the World Agro forestry Center (ICRAF) also used the pictures taken during the study in the countries like Kenya and Zambia to express how useful these species are.
Among the farmers Joseph Gafaranga on behalf of the Northern Province Farmers at the workshop did not welcome the move saying its always promises but they are never being taught how this can work out well.
“We are not always trained on how plant feed such trees to grow well and there are no follow-ups to ensure it is done well thus a hindrance to us as farmers,” Gafaranga said.
On that issue Prof. Shem promised the farmers that the project is coming very soon and that the farmers will be helped to understand how the species are planted to ensure the project is successful and useful to the farmers.
Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) was formed to merge some other agencies in a bid to improve services to farmers in their daily activities. It groups Rwanda Animal Resources Development Authority (RARDA), the Rwanda Agricultural Development Authority and the Rwanda Agriculture Research Institute (ISAR) in its French acronym.
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