Eastern Province authorities given a two-week ultimatum to complete maize drying facilities

Districts in the Eastern Province have been given 2 weeks to ensure that all maize drying facilities have been completed at the Sector level.

The agreement was reached following a meeting that brought together officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Ministry of Local Government and other stakeholders in the maize industry of the Eastern Province.

While officials in the Eastern Province have given assurances that the upcoming maize harvest will be a good one, different stakeholders in the Province's Maize Industry are saying that they have put a lot of effort in ensuring that harvests are well stored after drying, to ensure that they do not get wet again.

Government Officials have pointed out that able maize  cooperatives should find a way to buy the sheeting materials they need instead of waiting for someone else to do it for them.

Gerardine Mukeshimana, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources said; "We agreed with the big cooperatives that they should reuse the sheeting they used last year, buy new ones where necessary and if they still fall short; they we will step in to ensure that no harvests go to waste. As for the B agricultural season, we are about to begin, we are calling on farmers to grow more staple foods, especially maize and beans,"

Other government officials present urged agronomists to ensure that agricultural productivity in the eastern province does not reduce, by properly carrying out their responsibilities.

The eastern province expects to harvest more than 400 tons of maize during this agricultural season.

Serge Ntore reports...