RWANDA: In Gahengeri, the car manufacturer KIA trains in sustainable agriculture

In Rwanda, 2,000 farmers in the town of Gahengeri, 39 km from the capital Kigali, will improve their yields thanks to a new training center for sustainable agriculture. The center is part of the Green Light project of car manufacturer KIA, a subsidiary of South Korea's Hyuandai Motor Group.

South Korean car manufacturer KIA is accelerating its commitment to environmental responsibility in Rwanda. As part of its Green Light initiative, the subsidiary of the South Korean group Hyuandai Motor is setting up a sustainable agriculture training center in Gahengeri in the Rwamagana district.

The facility, which has been handed over to the Rwandan government, will equip 2,000 farmers in the management of storage and drying facilities as well as irrigation and shelling. According to the company led by Jung-Yung Choi, the initiative will also provide farm machinery rental and incubation programs for local farmers in terms of harvesting and sales opportunities.

“We used to harvest one ton per hectare, but now we are getting more than four tons per hectare, a fact that gives us hope that we want to reach 10 tons per hectare in the future,” says Cleophas Rugwizangoga, a local farmer.

Launched in 2017, KIA’s Green Light project has already been implemented in several East African countries like Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. The initiative will culminate in 2023 with an investment in sustainable mobility in Ghana

 Benoit-Ivan Wansi  | https://www.afrik21.africa/