Rwandans to gain fisheries skills from Vietnam

Four employees of the Ministry of Agriculture in Rwanda have been sent to Vietnam to pursue master’s degrees in Aquaculture and Fisheries Sciences.

The team includes three men and one lady, and will attend their education at Nha Trang University this academic year 2012-2013. The Masters Program is funded by the African Development Board (ADB) through the Inland Lakes Integrated Management and Support Project (PAIGELAC) project in ministry of agriculture (Minagri).

The sponsorship is part of the bid strengthen and implement the existing bilateral relations between Rwanda and Vietnam and according to Rwanda’s minister of Agriculture, Dr. Agnes Kalibata this is an opportunity for the ministry’s capacity building efforts.

Dr. Kalibata, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources briefly met with the four students, to provide guidance on their journey ahead. She acknowledged the importance of sending staff to Vietnam,

She said that although Rwanda has all the water resources it needs to compete in the fish industry, the country lacks the necessary skill to successfully create a large fish business.

“We have a huge opportunity here to take advantage of this education. Vietnam employs simple techniques with inexpensive technology that farmers in Rwanda can easily adopt. Rwanda has enormous potential in water resources, and we have to exploit them to improve the nutrition and welfare of Rwandans.” She said.

The government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources has committed to developing a strong fish industry in Rwanda, and the four students are expected to return with valuable knowledge that can be applied in the agriculture sector to benefit its farmers.

Rwanda has a huge opportunity to learn from Vietnam for the growth of their fish industry, as they have similar landscapes for producing fish and is also a small country with a high population density.

Vietnam is ranked the second largest fish and sea food exporter in the world. In the last 20 years, they have successfully become a middle-income country after surviving a difficult past.