RUYIGI June 4th (ABP) – The Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Déo Guide Rurema, made a working visit on Thursday April 30 to Nyagitika hill in Nyabistinda commune, Ruyigi province (eastern Burundi) on the site where there is a coffee plantation recently erected by the Burundi Coffee Development Authority (ODECA).
During the visit, Minister Rurema encouraged the people to resume coffee growing in order to multiply their sources of income and especially foreign currency so that they can develop. The minister also promised that the government of Burundi will provide them with technical and material assistance during the whole process of renovating the coffee.
As the check by ABP noted on site, that site visited by Minister Déo Guide Rurema covers 15 hectares and 149,000 coffee plants have been transplanted there by ODECA in order to revive the enthusiasm for the people in relation to the growing of coffee.
To that end, that Nyagitika plantation saw its existence to bring back the people to love and be able to derive monetary profits and be capable of developing. After having carried out the work of depositing the straw used as manure in that plantation, in the company of the members of the cooperatives who work as workforce in that plantation, Minister Déo guide Rurema declared that this plantation will serve as a model for any individual who wishes to learn and have technical and material information to properly grow coffee in the eastern sub-region in general and in Ruyigi province in particular.
According to the Minister in charge of the Agriculture, the State of Burundi is ready to support all individuals, whether natural or legal, willing and ready to give their contribution for the recovery of the coffee sector in Burundi.
He further specified that there are other sites of reproduction and recovery of that plantation in the east of the country and more precisely in the commune of Bweru in Ruyigi province on the Mubavu hill with 11 hectares, and the same area in Cendajuru commune of Cankuzo province.
That multiplication and reproduction of coffee are encouraged by the government in order to raise the standard of living of the coffee growing people to benefit, enjoy and be able to advance in development. He promised that any assistance for coffee growers and at all stages of that crop will be available so that people from Ruyigi province can restore the image with coffee.
Note that since the politico-social crisis of 1993 until now, the people of Ruyigi had gradually lost interest in that crop and in several parts of that province the coffee plantations had been destroyed in favor of other crops.
The other factor in the disinterest of coffee by the people is due to the decrease in arable land following the increase in population.