1. Introduction
On Tuesday the 27th January 2009, Cassava Program, in collaboration with ISAR Head Office, organized field day at Nyamiyaga Sector, Kamonyi District in Southern Province to release officially the new cassava varieties.
Participants came from Southern Province (The Governor, the Mayors of Kamonyi and Muhanga Districts), Representatives of RADA, CRS and various partners (NGOs, Local administration) and farmers. Other ISAR’s Researchers from different programs participated in the ceremony.
2. Objective of the ceremony
The main objective of the ceremony was to official release 4 new cassava varieties from Research Institute (ISAR) after six years of selection, those new varieties released are: MM96/5280; MM96/3920; MM96/0287 and MM96/7204. All these four varieties are tolerant to CMD, sweet taste and high yielding.
3. Field visited
After welcoming remarks by Deputy Director General in charge of research, Dr Jonas Mugabe, all the participants visited the multiplication field of improved varieties and had the exchange of information with the farmers, especially the field’s owner. Farmers and visitors moved inside the field and observed the new cassava varieties, they said that the new varieties had good characteristic, especially tolerance to CMD, the major constraint.
After field visit, the participants went to see cassava processing unit established by UMUHUZA Cooperative in order to add value to cassava crop. The team leader of this Cooperative explained which kind of activities briefly but also the challenges, especially the lack of power energy (electricity); the Governor of Southern Province gave the promises that the problem will be resolved shortly.
4. Mini show
After field visit and processing unit visit, all participants visited also a mini show where fresh tubers, boiled tubers, food (Ugali) and cassava flour of new varieties were shown at RFDTC (Ruyumba Farm Demonstration and Training Center). The Head of Cassava ¨Program, Mr Gervais Gashaka explained briefly how the process of selection is done from introduction of new materials to final stage of releasing new varieties to farmers.
Mrs Marie-Claire Kanyange, who was the Chairperson of the ceremony, organized the process to giving the local names to new varieties by farmers. After tasting boiled tubers and food (Ugali) of new varieties, a team of eight farmers from UMUHUZA Cooperative gave local names based on their taste, yield, sweetness, colour and tolerance to CMD as follow: MM96/5280 (Seruruseke); MM96/3920 (Rwizihiza); MM96/0287 (Mavoka) and MM96/7204 (Garukunsubire).
5. Closing remarks
Farmer Representative and field owner, Mr François Nsanzintwari thanked all participants, especially ISAR, to organise this field day. He wished to collaborate with ISAR in variety selection, during On-farm trials.
The Coordinator of INGABO Syndicate, Mr François Mbabazi, highlighted the importance of cassava in the former Gitarama Province. He emphasized on the good collaboration between ISAR and INGABO Syndicate. After the damage of cassava mosaic disease (CMD), INGABO Syndicate received improved cassava varieties from ISAR and multiplied those varieties at large scale. As results of this multiplication activity, INGABO Syndicate generated a benefit of one billion and four hundred millions of Rwandan franc (1.400.000.000 FRw). He wished a continuous collaboration between research institute and farmer’s associations to promote cassava crop in Rwanda.
CRS Representative, Mr Sylvain Hakizimana, mentioned also a good collaboration between ISAR and CRS. He said that CRS support research activities like On-farm trials through Great Lakes Cassava Initiative (GLCI) project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
RADA representative, Mr Gervais Ngerero, thanked ISAR for generating new varieties,. The major constraint to cassava production is cassava mosaic virus (CMV), the new varieties are tolerant to CMD, that is a good news for the farmers because this biotic constraint has spread in all farms. He also thanked Cassava program for providing the leaflet which contains the characteristics of the new varieties.
The Major of Kamonyi District in his speech, acknowledged all the participants for the important activity organized in his District and wished good collaboration between researchers and farmers, he thanked ISAR for organizing the field day and sharing information about the new varieties which presented good traits.
He wished to continue research, because it is very important, to have good plan for agricultural activity in the District in order to improve the economy of our country.
The Director General of ISAR, Dr Mark Bagabe thanked all ISAR staff, for organizing this important activity, secondly farmers for their collaboration in different activities and third the Governor and Majors of Kamonyi and Muhanga Districts, in Southern Province, for their support and to joining us in this field day. He briefly reminder the participants the main role of ISAR, as a research institute, ISAR has a mandate of research and the results or findings of research are disseminated through our partners. He said that ISAR planned to train extension staff at sector levels because there is a problem of management of crops. He said that after variety selection, ISAR gives the best ones to RADA and partners for large multiplication in order to increase the quantity of seeds to give to farmers.
The Governor of Southern Province, Mr Fidèle Ndayisaba, acknowledged ISAR for the field day on cassava, he thanked all participants to attend this ceremony. In his speech, he said that cassava is one of the priorities crops in Southern Province in crop intensification policy. He informed the participants that there are four processing units established in Kamonyi, Ruhango, Nyanza and Huye Districts in order to add value to cassava crop. So he encouraged the farmers to cultivate cassava at large scale because the market is there.
Finally he said that cassava is good, sweet, makes money and let’s love cassava (Imyumbati ni myiza, iraryoha, irakiza, tuyikunde).
Outcomes of the ceremony
The local names and characteristics of new varieties:
Variety Local name given Characteristics served as a reference to choose local name
MM96/5280 Seruruseke Early variety, which could fight against hunger; it makes
farmers happy
MM96/3920 Rwizihiza Variety with big tubers, so the yield is higher. It can improve
the calorie intake.
MM96/0287 Mavoka Yellow Variety, similar to an avocado. Tastes good.
MM96/7204 Garukunsubire People state that this variety is addictive – eating it causes
them to want to eat more and more.
By Gervais Gashaka
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment