American billionaire Howard Buffet has pledged to establish Africa’s largest centre for agriculture research and extension in the country.
Buffet was speaking at the inauguration of a $39M irrigation scheme in Nasho Sector of Kirehe District which also consists of a solar power plant with a capacity of 3.3 megawatts to power the irrigation system.
The scheme is a partnership between the Rwandan government and Howard G. Buffet Foundation (HGBF) to modernize Rwanda’s agriculture sector and specifically improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.
Buffet said that following the successful implementation of the project and impact on the beneficiaries, he said that they had decided to continue to the partnership through the establishment of a research and extension centre.
The centre which he dubbed as a ‘powerhouse of research and extension that does not exist in Africa,” will also involve connecting Nasho Sector of Kirehe District with Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) in Bugesera District.
“We came to an agreement with the government to finish the road that will connect RICA and Nasho, we have come to an agreement on how we will be able to complete it. About 36 kilometres of road,” he said. Read more…
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