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Rwanda Meteorology Agency (METEO RWANDA) in partnership with Rwanda Green Funds (FONERWA) through the Green Gicumbi Project organized the weeklong training of farmer promoters and farmer facilitators on application of weather and climate services and information to increase productivity from Tea, Coffee and other commodities and reduce losses from weather and climate variability.
The training workshop conducted from 21st to 26th May 2023 put together 100 farmer promoters and facilitators from 9 sectors of Gicumbi district covered by Green Gicumbi Project namely: Rubaya, Cyumba, Kaniga, Mukarange, Rushaki, Shangasha, Manyagiro, Byumba and Bwisige.
In total 150 sector agronomists, farmer promoters and farmer facilitators were trained and the project is targeting to reach out to 4,900 farmers through Farmers Field School (FFS).
Mr. Herve Murenzi, Agro-meteorologist and METEO RWANDA’s Focal Point with Green Gicumbi Project said that the training was in line with the Project objective to reduce vulnerability to climate change by enhancing the adaptive capacity of the targeted groups in the project intervention area as well as reducing their exposure to climate risks.
“As producers of weather and climate information, it is also our responsibility to reach out to farmers and educate them on effective application of weather and climate information to increase agricultural productivity and cope with impacts from climate change and variability,” said Herve Murenzi.
The workshop covered different topics including: key terms used in meteorological services, forecasts and their applications, meteorological infrastructure, historical climatological data as well as Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) approaches.
Mr. Niyitegeka Celestin, Farmer Facilitator from Murindi Cell, Kaniga Sector said that they used to incur losses from not relying on weather and climate information from METEO RWANDA. These include inadequate harvests from crop varieties that do not match with the rainfall expected in a particular season.
“After this training, I can plan the agricultural season based on the seasonal forecast from METEO RWANDA. I can now select the suitable crop variety based on the total rainfall expected in the season, the seasonal rainfall onset and cessation and the length of the season.” Said Celestin.
Mrs. Musengimana Marie Rose shares same sentiments with Celestin. She is confident that the knowledge gained will enable her to plant on time, which will in turn increase the harvest. She committed to share the acquired knowledge to her fellows at village level where she come from.
Mr. Jean Marie Vianney Kagenza, Green Gicumbi Project Team Leader urged the farmers to be the agent of change in their respective villages by training others on use of weather and climate information and other topics related to maintaining achievements attained by Green Gicumbi Project.
With support from Green Gicumbi Project, METEO RWANDA acquired three full Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), which are now operational. They are installed at Bwisige Sector Office, Cyumba Sector Office and Mulindi Tea Factory.
To know more about Green Gicumbi Project, click here.
