The Green Amayaga Project has helped communities adopt environmentally friendly farming methods. Farmers now cultivate crops in planting pits (amayogi) instead of ploughing the entire land, which used to be washed away by erosion. They also use terraces and soil retention ditches planted with grasses that help stabilize the soil.
Nyabyende Joseph, from Byabiyaga Village, Cyamukuza Cell in Ndora Sector, explains“The Green Amayaga Project trained us in climate-smart agriculture farming that protects the environment and preserves soil fertility.
Previously, we ploughed the whole field, and as a result, soil erosion washed everything away. But now we use planting pits, and the soil has become more fertile and better conserved”.
He adds “Before, from a 10×10meter plot, you could barely harvest 30 kilograms. Today, you can harvest up to 200 kilograms”.
Mukarora Beatha, from Nyamiyaga Village, Cyamukuza Cell, Ndora Sector, also shares her experience “We were trained in conservation agriculture. During training at a model field, one cassava stem produced 28 roots weighing 18 kg, which motivated us to adopt these techniques.”
She continues: “I now have my own model plot with full contour ditches. Before, I could not uproot even one cassava plant because the soil was too hard. Today, with conservation agriculture, we use fewer seeds and still obtain better yields.
We dig evenly spaced planting pits, apply organic manure, and then plant the seeds”.
Conservation agriculture practices include planting grasses on contour ditches, building anti-erosion structures, mulching fields to keep soil moisture, planting agroforestry trees to stabilize the soil.
Vice Mayor Gisagara
This approach helps communities achieve food security while protecting the soil from erosion and degradation.
Marie Chantal Nyirabera
