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Smallholder farmers in Rwanda stand to gain from crop farming following the launch of a low-cost insurance that covers weather vagaries and yield shortfalls.

This was preceded by signing of a memorandum of understanding October 11, between Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (Minagri) and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), a Swiss non-profit organization.

The new scheme dubbed ‘Hinga Urishingiwe’ the version of Kenya’s ‘Kilimo Salama’ currently targets smallholder farmers who currently growing maize and beans on plots ranging from 0.10-1 acres but with plans to include more crops in the near future.

Currently, focus is the districts of Huye, Nyanza, Nyaruguru, Gisagara and Karongi.

The insurance covers loans provided to farmers by the agriculture service provider One Acre Fund/Tubura.

Minagri Minister Dr Agnes Kalibata while launching the scheme emphasised its value to the smallholder farmers, stating that it will change the way they have been doing business as they produce for home consumption and the market.

She added that Government and other stakeholders are ready to work with farmers who will take up the scheme but added that more sensitization was needed on the same.

The average loan to size insured is for USD 15 (Rwf 9,600) and goes at 15% per interest per annum.

Through the farmers will pay the premium as part of their loan repayments for fertilizer and other improved inputs offered by Minagri and One Acre Fund.

“With this insurance our farmers can now protect their families against risk of losing their investments due to erratic weather, said Cor Oudes of One Acre Fund.

And SFSA’s Executive Director, Dr Marco Ferroni, says that when farmers make losses they may fear to put in more investments in the next season, leading to low farm output, adding that is where Hinga Urishingiwe’ insurance comes in.

Hinga Urishingiwe, also supported by Swiss Re Corporate Solutions as a partner, is based on the lessons learned from the project’s operations in Kenya where it has been offering agricultural insurance for the last three years.

To date 73,000 farmers have been insured in Kenya and Rwanda under the scheme. In Kenya, 10,000 farmers have received payouts from the scheme.

Dr Benjamin Mbundu, Managing Director of SORAS Insurance, also a partner in the scheme says that the scheme avoids expensive and lengthy claims procedures.

The product has the potential to make agricultural micro-insurance affordable and attractive for small-holder farmers and economically viable for insurance companies in the country that had previously ignored the agricultural sector.

The Minister of Local Government, James Musoni on October 8, 2012 launched the ‘Management for results’ training for local government leaders at La Palisse Hotel in Gashora.

The week-long training will see officials in local governments upgrade their management skills to deliver results.

The training conducted by Korean experts particularly targeted mayors, directors of planning and Vice mayors in charge of Finance and Economic Development and Vice Mayors in charge of Social Affairs as well as Provincial, City of Kigali and District Executive Secretaries.

The training is a continuation of the leadership development training that was also attended by Local Government Leaders in May and September 2011.

Other similar trainings are taking place at lower levels of local governments such as the sectors and cells for Executive Secretaries in the context of implementing the local government capacity building plan.

Through the trainings leaders will be empowered with skills and capacities to improve their performance and expedite realization of the country’s socio-economic transformation.

“The Government is building capacities for local government officials purposely to promote efficiency, effectiveness and to develop in them self-confidence, patriotism, sacrifice so as to have dignified Society and Nation,” minister Musoni said.

Such trainings, minister Musoni said, are designed to provide technical skills and develop values such as integrity and clarity of purpose among Local government leaders.

He added it was important for leaders to exhibit professionalism by providing people-centered services with urgency and responsibility, echoing that one cannot achieve results without such values.

The training provided chance for participants to inter-relate management for results skills with leadership development skills.

The Government says the trainings will help Local Government officials understand their crucial roles and responsibilities in Rwanda’s socio-economic transformation and more especially managing for results, which should provide answers to different challenges facing local government leaders, specifically in planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

A DRC opposition leader of the innovative Forces for Union and Solidarity (FONUS), Joseph Olengakoy has called upon the Congolese citizens to rise against what he called ‘Murder of the Republic’.

Olengakoy was referring to the dominant hand of MONUSCO in the management of DRC saying that the absence of a strong army in the DRC has created an imbalance in the state.

“There is a problem in the country. We are all involved in the assassination of the Republic. We must realize. Today, we are going to put in an ambulance, and soon it will be conducted to the cemetery. We must refuse it, “he said.

Olenghankoy said the Congolese must rise to take their own destiny.

“Our whole strength rests today on MONUSCO, an alien force. So, our country has no secret. All countries in the world are here. They know your languages they have mastered all your dialects. When you notice even the briefings of MONUSCO, “he argued.

The former Minister of Transport under the “1 +4”, was surprised that even the state information to be given to the national press by MONUSCO.

“What prevents our army to a press briefing a week? Here, you’ll feel the imbalance state, “he said.

Olengakoy has pledged to mobilise the opposition against government.