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FT 14 JUN 94 / Commodities and Agriculture: Bean rescue planned for Rwanda
By LESLIE CRAWFORD
NAIROBI
A tropical agriculture institute based in Cali, Colombia, has begun an
emergency breeding programme for bean seeds to supply Rwandan farmers when
the bloodshed in the central African country stops.
'The war has claimed half a million lives, but famine in war's wake may take
millions more unless local food production can be restored rapidly,' Mr
Gustavo Nores, the director of the International Centre for Tropical
Agriculture (CIAT), said during a visit to Nairobi.
His centre, which runs a gene bank containing 285 Rwandan bean varieties,
plans to multiply 200 tonnes of seeds that will enable farmers to plant a
new crop and restore the genetic diversity of Rwandan beans when peace is
restored.
The resumption of civil war in Rwanda, sparked by the death of President
Juvenal Habyarimana in an air crash eight weeks ago, has displaced millions
of civilians inside the country and caused the exodus of some 400,000
refugees. Aid workers have warned of the danger of impending famine as the
fighting and indiscriminate slaughter of civilians has caused farmers to
abandon their crops.
Beans are the staple food crop for Rwandans, providing 65 per cent of
dietary protein and 32 per cent of their daily calorie intake. Before the
war, CIAT introduced Latin American climbing beans into Rwanda, which
doubled yields in Africa's most densely populated country. With 700 people
per square kilometre and limited farmland, Rwanda needs to increase crop
yields if it is to continue feeding its population.
Agricultural research stations in Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Zaire will
also be contributing to CIAT's efforts to provide Rwandan farmers with bean
seeds. The 200 tonnes are expected to supply about one-quarter of the farms
in Rwanda with one kilogramme of seeds each.
Countries:-
KEZ Kenya, Africa.
COZ Colombia, South America.
Industries:-
P0119 Cash Grains, NEC.
Types:-
NEWS General News.
The Financial Times
London Page 38