The role of the use of improved agricultural practices in ensuring food security in Rwanda

1.6 Problem statement

In Rwanda majority of the population depends on agricultural activities being labor intensive, where in 2005/2006, the agricultural population was estimated to be 89.6% of the total population and accounts for a third of Rwanda's GDP agriculture is able to absorb a large pool of people, especially the less educated that would find it difficult to get employment in the industrial or service sectors^7(*)

However, this large pool of people engaged in agricultural sector does not prevent a large portion of the country's population to be affected by chronic and transitory food insecurity. Due to traditional method of agriculture, weather condition and soil erosion Food security situation in Rwanda is highly linked up to severe recurring food shortage and famine. The Rwandan Government has recently adopted new agriculture and land policies that strive to increase the productivity in agricultural sector through the land use consolidation and the use of improved agricultural practice such as improved seeds, pesticides and fertilizers.

Thus the present research was conducted to find out the role of the use of improved agricultural practice in ensuring food security in rural areas especially Cyanika Sector Burera District.

1.6.1 Objective of study

The objectives of this research are subdivided into general and specific objectives

1.6.2 General objective

The general objective of this study is to analyze the role of the use of improved agricultural practice in ensuring food security in rural areas. Case study in CYANIKA Sector, BURERA District

1.6.3 Specific objective

The specific objectives of study are:

1. To find out how the use of fertilizers has improved food production in rural area of CYANIKA Sector

2. To analyze the contribution of the use of improved seeds in promoting food security trough the increase in food production in rural area of CYANIKA Sector

3. To find out how the use of pesticides has helped to increase production in rural area CYANIKA sector

1.6.4. Research questions

This research deals with the role of the use of agricultural input in ensuring food security in rural areas. So research questions of this study will be:

1. Does the use of fertilizers promoting food production in CYANIKA Sector?

2. What is the effect of pesticides on food production in CYANIKA Sector?

3. Does the use of improved seeds promote food security trough the increase in food production in CYANIKA Sector?

1.6.5 Hypothesis of the study

This is the proposal for an answer to the questions which one puts in connection with the object of research, formulated in terms such that the observation and the analysis can provide an answer

To answer my problem questions, the following hypotheses have been proposed:

1. The use of fertilizers has significantly contribute to improve food production in rural area of CYANIKA Sector

2. The utilization of improved seeds has promoting food security trough the increase in food production in rural area CYANIKA Sector

3. The use of insect killer (pesticide) in agricultural activity helped to raise up crop production in rural area CYANIKA sector

* ⁷ National Agricultural Survey, NAS 2008