{Farmers in the Eastern Province have expressed concern over produce buyers that offer very low prices leaving farmers with scanty earnings from their labour. }
This was revealed yesterday during a meeting called to deliberate on post-harvest handling and brought together officials from the Eastern Province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Ministry of Trade and Industry, district leaders, representatives of; buyers , farmers cooperatives and fertilizer sellers.
Participants said they are expecting anticipated bumpy harvest but farmers expressed difficulties in finding markets..
The ministry of agriculture representatives unveiled that maize harvest will reach 390,000, rice 36.117, beans 142,804 tons during the first season of 2016 A.
Jean Pierre Rukundo, a maize farmer from Nyagatare district said that the delay of government’s promised markets and silos pushes them to sell at cheapest prices to meet their varied needs.
The governor of Eastern Province, Odette Uwamaliya, has requested farmers to make good preparations of the first season’s harvest and keep their crops in stores to avoid selling at prices.
The MINAGRI permanent secretary Innocent Musabyimana said that efforts have been concentrated in the Eastern Province support post-harvesting because a bumper harvest s expected.
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