Beans and sweet potatoes are important to farmers and Rwandans because they possess nutrients and also are grown and eaten by many Peaple.

This week Tuesday 24th July, 2018 Imbaraga and Cartas Rwanda Trough Voice for Change Partnership funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through SNV had dialogue with non-governmental organizations and Civil Societies about how to increase the production and Consumption of bio-fortified food crops in Rwanda.

Around 9 NGO’s participated including ’Voice For Change Partnership’, RDO, SNV Rwanda, ADECOR, DUHAMIC ADRI, IFPRI ,Sun Alliance and Government Officials ; Dr.Charles Murekezi from Ministry of Agriculture.

Dr.Sindi Kilimi Jilius CIP Country Manager in Rwanda said that beans and sweet potatoes are important to farmers and Rwandans because they are grown and eaten by many Peaple.

“We are dealing with crops which are beneficial to farmers in Rwanda like Beans and sweet Potatoes because they are widely grown in Rwanda and they are eaten mostly with many farmers”. Says Dr.Sindi Kilimi Jilius.

"They are important, Sweet potatoes are Vitamin A and Beans are Ionic and Zinc and they have nutrients that is the reason why we talk about them”. He concluded.

The Legal Representative of Imbaraga Farmers Organization Mr Munyakazi Jean Paul in his view he said that people have few foods but they don’t know how to prepare a good diet.

“we doubted about the submitted report from government of Rwanda and international Non Governmental Organizations and we found out there is mal nutritional issue,we asked ourselves why as country of 85% of formers yet they face with this issue” ?.He explains why the dialogue.

“Here in Rwanda we found out that we have a few foods in general and yet we don’t know how to prepare them for a good diet, they widely affect population in thinking for the development of the country so 38% are people with mal nutrition”.He observed.

As they recommended they said that Partners and Stakeholders need to improve consumer behavior and sensitize the Rwandan Population on the consumption of bio-fortified nutritious food crops including Beans and Sweet Potatoes and vegetables. Government provide enabling policy environment by considering Beans and Sweet Potato as priority crops and incentivize farmers to increase production of those crops and government should subsidize bio-fortified seed production of Beans and other .

They said Private sector should increase quality seed production for bio-fortification of the staple food crops including Beans and Sweet Potatoes.

And finally CSOs should promote behavior change through raising awareness on the importance of Production and consumption of bio-fortified Beans and Sweet potatoes and other staple food crops.

Mr Munyakazi Jean Paul The Legal Representative of Imbaraga Farmers Organization

Dr.Sindi Kilimi Jilius CIP Country Manager in Rwanda said that beans and sweet potatoes are important to farmers and Rwandans because they are grown and eaten by many People.

Imbaraga and Cartas Rwanda had dialogue with non-governmental organizations and Civil Societies about how to increase the production and Consumption of bio-fortified food crops in Rwanda

Source :muhabura.rw