Farming is central to life and the economy in Rwanda. However, limited land, unpredictable weather patterns, and increasing food demand are straining traditional agriculture.
In response, some farmers and innovators are exploring aquaponics—a modern, soil-free farming method that uses significantly less water than conventional agriculture. Aquaponics combines aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants in water) to create a closed-loop system. In this cycle, fish waste becomes a natural fertilizer for plants, while the plants help purify the water for the fish.
Alpha Mumarungu, a farm officer in Kayonza, believes aquaponics can enhance food and income security for smallholder farmers. She oversees a coupled aquaponics system, where all water remains within the loop and none is wasted.
"The process begins with a fish tank and a hydroponic unit called deep water culture, where plants grow," she explains. The fish tank water, rich in ammonia from fish waste, first passes through a solid filter that removes heavier waste. It then flows into a biofilter where nitrifying bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrates—nutrients the plants can absorb.
Read more at The New Times