By Rose Mukagahizi
Some poultry and pig farmers in Gisagara District are thanking the PRISM project for training them to produce animal feed known as Azolla, because it helps their animals get protein and gain weight.
Azolla is a plant that is highly praised by some farmers working with the PRISM project because it has eased the long-standing challenge of finding enough animal feed.
Omar Gashema, a community mobilizer in the PRISM project, explains that Azolla is livestock fodder rich in nutrients, containing between 25% and 35% protein. He says this fodder can be fed to animals such as goats, cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, and even fish.
He said: “We are very grateful to the PRISM project because we had a problem with expensive animal feed here, and transporting it was also a major challenge. Transport costs were very high, and feed processing factories are expensive. After we were trained on Azolla, farmers quickly saw its value in supplementing the feeds they were already using.”
Azolla is a plant commonly found in rice marshlands, and such marshlands are abundant in Gisagara District.
He added: “Azolla has become a solution for animal feed because if you were feeding your animals one kilogram of industrial feed, you can replace one-third of it with Azolla and mix them together, because it should not be fed alone. It is very beneficial because animals remain healthy and gain weight.”
He gives the example of chickens, saying: “Chickens that eat Azolla lay larger eggs. Another thing is that their eggs contain much more yolk. They also gain weight. You can clearly see that they grow well.”
He says that he personally conducted research by separating chickens into groups, feeding some of them Azolla mixed with other feeds, and later observing that the chickens fed on Azolla grew faster, while those that did not eat Azolla showed stunted growth.
This is confirmed by farmers including August Bucyana and Nyirahabimana Jeannine from Nyanza Sector in Gisagara District, who say they mix Azolla with bran and that pigs or chickens fed on Azolla are the ones that grow well and gain more weight compared to animals that are not fed Azolla. In addition, they say the animals enjoy better health and are less likely to fall sick.
The Vice Mayor of Gisagara District in charge of Economic Development, Jean Paul Habineza, appreciates the role of the PRISM project in the district through its integrated poverty reduction program, saying PRISM has contributed to changing people’s mindsets.
He said: “Some of the citizens trained by the PRISM project have already become examples of what is possible. We thank them, and this is also why we encourage others to believe it is possible and to go on study visits to learn from fellow citizens who have achieved good results.”
PRISM is a project jointly implemented by the Government of Rwanda in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), through the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), and implemented under the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB).
