卢旺达：优先推进灌溉计划

Nyagatare地区原计划这一季的玉米收成达到90，000吨。然而，由于持续干旱，收成预计会下降20%。

想要预计干旱来袭时期或持续时间可能会难的，但我们可以通过灌溉等方法将干旱带来的危害降至最低。

有了灌溉计划，农民可以确保农作物生产和保持较高产量的关键因素，便可以达到国家安全标准和一些地区的扶贫捐献标准。建立这些灌溉计划可能会很贵，但是很有价值。可以鼓励农民完善灌溉设施。通过农业部，政府在灌溉需要高级专门技术和大量投资方面起到领导作用，然而，设备维护方面需要农民自行解决。

在水资源缺乏且人口持续增长的情况下，农业部门想要满足人们的粮食需求，就必须鼓励小规模灌溉计划来进行灌溉。

近期，政府在土地整合方面的工作很成功，毋庸置疑，农业规模扩大了，更加方便了小规模灌溉的实施。

Rwanda: Irrigation Schemes Should Be a Priority

Nyagatare District had projected to harvest close to 90,000 tonnes of maize this season. However, after experiencing long dry spells, the harvest is expected to reduce by 20 per cent.

While it may be complicated to determine the drought periods or how long they last, there are available technologies that minimize the effects of the dry spells, irrigation being one of them.

With irrigation schemes, the famers get an assurance against risk in crop production as well as a key towards creating large volume production to meet the National food security and big contributor towards poverty alleviation in rural areas.

Setting up these schemes may be expensive, but a worthwhile investment. The farmers should be encouraged to contribute towards having the irrigation facilities. Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture can take the lead since irrigation requires high level expertise and large investments; however, maintenance of the facilities will require input from the farmers.

If the agricultural sector is to meet the food demand of the growing population in the presence of looming water scarcity, access to irrigation through small-scale irrigation schemes must be encouraged

And, with the government succeeding in Land consolidation, the improved farm size would, without doubt, facilitate the installation of small-scale irrigation.