Fines for tampering with electricity meter range between SR5000 and SR100000 New amendments made in Electricity Law    Saudi Arabia deports 8,051 illegal residents in a week    Saudi Arabia is among world's top donors with assistance worth SR528 billion    GCC – Japan negotiations make progress in sealing free trade agreement    Inzaghi hails Al Hilal's fearless Club World Cup run    UNRWA calls for urgent fuel delivery to Gaza to prevent shutdown of basic services    Syria rules out foreign borrowing as central bank hails post-Assad recovery    Pakistan army kills 30 militants in cross-border clash near Afghanistan    State of emergency declared in Crete after wildfire devastates Ierapetra    OPEC+ further accelerates oil output hike by 548,000 bpd in August    Football world mourns Diogo Jota and brother André Silva at funeral in Portugal    Al Hilal exit Club World Cup after narrow defeat to Fluminense    Saudi Arabia tops global ICT Development Index for 2025    Hotel occupancy in Saudi Arabia rises to 63% as tourism workforce tops 983,000 in Q1 2025    Alkhorayef Commercial Company partners with XSQUARE Technologies to elevate logistics automation in Saudi Arabia    Portugal and Liverpool FC winger Diogo Jota dies in car accident in Spain    Michael Madsen, actor of 'Kill Bill' and 'Reservoir Dogs' fame, dead at 67    BTS are back: K-pop band confirm new album and tour    Michelin Guide launches in Saudi Arabia with phased rollout in 2025    'How fragile we are': Roskilde Festival tragedy remembered 25 years on    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



How a visionary in Rwanda is growing potatoes in the air
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 01 - 12 - 2020

Agriculture is embedded in the culture of the people of Rwanda. In fact, about 67 percent of Rwandans are employed in agriculture, with arable land covering over 1.56 million hectares of the country.
But with Rwanda's population set to rise from 10.5 million in 2012 to 16.9 million by 2032, demand for food will likewise soar. At the same time, the amount of arable land is likely to diminish with the country's cities steadily expanding. Agricultural innovations, that focus on ensuring higher productivity in smaller spaces, are needed if Rwanda's agricultural sector is to continue meeting the food needs of the country. Enter a new way of growing food without soil and less water: aeroponics.
Aeroponics is a climate-friendly way of planting in which roots are suspended in the air and grow in a humid environment. No soil is involved. Instead, the plants are sprayed with water and nutrient solution. This technique enables farmers to control humidity, temperature, pH, and water conductivity inside a greenhouse.
Meet the pioneer
When Apollinaire Karegeya found out about aeroponics, he recognized that it could increase food production and do so in a sustainable way. Apollinaire comes from a family of potato farmers, who have always practiced traditional farming. But with low crop productivity due to the climatic conditions, he knew the difficulties of providing a secure source of food for his local community. Apollinaire was hungry for new skills and knowledge that he could use to improve his farm.
"I started going to government partners who were working with the farmers in the country. One day one of the government partners offered me a training opportunity in Europe. That is when I first encountered aeroponics," Apollinaire says.
"I was amazed by this soilless technology. It prevents diseases and increases productivity. After the week-long training, I was convinced that this was going to be good."
Innovation, innovation, innovation!
With further support from the government and its partners, Apollinaire began farming potatoes through greenhouse aeroponics in 2015 and has been a pioneer of the aeroponic system in Rwanda ever since. Through aeroponics, he now multiplies potato seedlings, some of which he then plants on his farm to grow potatoes, and others which he sells to other farmers to plant on their farms. Apollinaire grows about 2 500 plantlets in his greenhouse, which produces potatoes in 2.5 months.
"Since it is not rotational farming, I grow three times a year. When the nutrients are well regulated, you can be assured of the yield. This wasn't the case with growing in open fields where you're at the mercy of nature," he says.
When Apollinaire first started using this technology, he still had a lot to learn.
"Tubers grown from aeroponics are kept for four months before they can be transferred to gardens. I lacked storage facilities, and along the way, some potato seedlings would rot," said Apollinaire.
In 2018, FAO, with funds from the European Union, implemented a project to improve the livelihoods of small producers engaged in the roots and tubers value chains. It aimed at making production more efficient and linking smallholders to domestic and regional markets.
Through the project, Apollinaire was trained in improved potato storage techniques and how to work with financial institutions to boost his new business further. He learned to keep the potato seedlings in boxes when they are ready to be moved to soils so that they get enough air as they wait to be picked up by buyers.
Convincing Rwandans about the new way of farming
Growing food without soil is new to many Rwandans, so Apollinaire also faced the challenge of changing mindsets. With help and training from FAO, he began to use the media including radio, television, newspapers, and websites to spread the word.
"The training opened my eyes to use community radios to raise awareness about my business and also the aeroponics systems. From then on, the demand for my seedlings grew exponentially. I receive many farmers asking me to help them set up the aeroponics system," he said smiling.
Now, he is so overwhelmed with customers that he is trying to encourage more people to adopt aeroponic methods and produce seedlings for Rwandan farmers.
Apollinaire has also trained his 20-year-old son in aeroponics, as well as 42 other farmers in Rwanda. As more farmers hear about the new farming techniques through Apollinaire's media outreach, he believes it will increase food production. Eventually, farmers will be able to use aeroponics to grow other kinds of crops, such as vegetables.
"The Rwandan population is increasing. We have to think of technologies to increase the amount of food we produce. New innovations are changing the image of agriculture. More youth are attracted to engage in agribusiness because it's no longer that backbreaking sector," he said.
With populations increasing and cities expanding around the world, innovative farming methods are exactly what's needed to reinvigorate the agriculture sector. By encouraging more farmers to follow in Apollinaire's footsteps, we can increase food security in a climate-friendly, sustainable way for all. — Courtesy FAO


Clic here to read the story from its source.