Members of Rwanda's Lower House have resolved to summon Agriculture minister Gerardine Mukeshimana over delays to distribute seeds and fertilisers to farmers during the planting season which ended last month.
The decision was made after the legislators were briefed on findings of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Environment which toured the country in September to assess the state of agriculture as farmers prepared for the planting season.
Under its agriculture subsidy scheme, commonly known as 'Nkunganire', the Ministry of Agriculture was expected to sponsor farmers who grow priority crops in the planting season and help them acquire fertilisers at lower prices whereby they pay between 15 and 25 per cent of the cost.
Those to benefit from the subsidy during the season include growers of maize, beans, wheat, soya, rice, Irish potatoes, cassava, banana, vegetables and fruits.
But because the government was also expected to distribute some of the seeds to farmers, certain farmers ended up not using the fertilisers because they received seeds when it was too late to plant them.
Now they want the minister to explain to Parliament why distribution of the seeds and fertilisers was delayed even as the government's policy remains the promotion of agriculture and food security.
"Is the ministry able to explain why these delays happened? I think the ministry should be invited to talk about the reasons for these problems," said MP Anita Mutesi.
MP Jean Thierry Karemera said the ministry should be accountable and proposed that the Minister for Agriculture be summoned to Parliament and explain what her ministry is doing to address the issues that continue to dog the agriculture sector.
