Farmers in Karongi District are expressing concern over a pest infestation known as ngongwa, which affects their crops as they begin to grow, reducing their yields. These farmers are requesting support in the form of pesticides and training on how to prevent the pest from spreading.
Jean Marie Vianney Nduhuye, a resident of Mataba Cell in Rubengera Sector, says one of the major challenges farmers face is the ngongwa pest, which attacks crops early in their growth. “We are greatly disturbed by these small pests that invade our crops when they start sprouting. We have been battling them constantly, but with no success. Please help us get the necessary assistance to eliminate them,” he pleaded.
Another farmer, Munyarukiko, who also practices agriculture, mentioned that they are still uncertain about the source of the ngongwa infestation, which is why they are asking local authorities for help. “We don’t yet understand where this pest comes from. Even when we water the crops, the pest still appears, significantly reducing our yield,” he explained.
Jean Bernard Nshimiyimana, the agronomist for Rubengera Sector, assured the farmers that when such issues arise, the local authorities assess the extent of the damage and provide assistance accordingly.
“When a farmer encounters a pest problem, they come to us, and we help them based on the scale of the damage. If they have large fields, we involve RAB (Rwanda Agriculture Board) and MINAGRI (Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources). But for small-scale farmers with less than half a hectare of land, we advise them to purchase pesticides locally, and we provide them with guidance on how to apply them,” Nshimiyimana explained.
He added, “We also conduct training sessions for farmers, so anyone who has missed out on those sessions can approach us for help. For large-scale farmers, we assist with pesticide application and provide advice on how to manage the pests.”
Nshimiyimana promised to visit the affected farmers in Karongi District to follow up on their concerns.
Karongi District is one of seven districts in the Western Province of Rwanda. It has a population of over 366,036 people living in an area of 993 km². A majority of the population depends on agriculture, cultivating crops like coffee, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, vegetables, and fruits on large plots of land.