Rwandan farmers name new cassava varieties during the Cassava Week

An association of farmers in Rwanda, the Ingabo Syndicate, in collaboration with the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and their partners, held Cassava Week 2020 from 17 to 19 November. The State Minister of Agriculture, Honorable Jean Chrisostome Ngabitsinze, officially kicked off the event at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.

The meeting attracted different stakeholders from research, government departments, development partners, local leadership, private sector food processors and seed multipliers, and farmers. The week showcased the importance of cassava in the country, looking at the progress made in cassava research and development plan, and laying common strategies for the future.

Farmers named new cassava varieties as part of the opening activities at the three-day event.  The farmers had tested the varieties in their farms and tasted different recipes from them in their homes.

Mrs Césarie Kantarama, Chairperson of Ingabo Syndicate that hosted the naming ceremony, said, “This naming event is very important for Rwandan cassava farmers. Like the way the government of Rwanda allows Rwandans and some influential international people to name baby gorillas, the named varieties are our ‘baby gorillas’ as cassava farmers.” She said this, referring to the new varieties’ anticipated impact on the farmers and Rwanda’s food and income security as a country.

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