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The USA Ambassador to Burundi has visited farmers receiving support from NGO TUBURA

ByWebmaster

Jun 24, 2021

GITEGA June 24th (ABP) – The Ambassador of the United States of America to Burundi, Mrs. Mélanie Harris Higgins, along with some senior officials from the ministry in charge of the Community Development, that in charge of Agriculture, and Farmers, visited on Monday June 21 the farmers who benefit from the support of the American NGO TUBURA in agricultural inputs and capacity building on modern farming practices in the Rwingiri and Kiremera villages of Giheta commune in Gitega province (central Burundi).

The goal was to observe the state of the achievements of that NGO on the field, a check by ABP revealed.

Support from the NGO TUBURA, which has been working in Burundi since 2012, is showing visible results on the field. They are marked in particular by the significant increase in the agricultural yield of beans in the 2021 agricultural season A during harvest, the farmers testified during that visit.

The Ambassador of the United States of America and her delegation began that visit to the fields and three households of farmers supported by the NGO TUBURA in Rwingiri village.

In the discussions, the farmers visited expressed their satisfaction with the significant increase in agricultural production obtained thanks to the regular supervision of TUBURA in the various stages of preparation for agricultural inputs, sowing and monitoring of crops until the harvest. They also appreciate the guidance acquired to better manage and conserve their agricultural products.

The fruits of that support can be seen in particular in the significant increase in agricultural production. The farmers visited gave an example of the good production of the beans being harvested by showing visitors the quantity already obtained. The illustrative case is that of Mrs. Prisca Bavuga, who indicated that in her field where she had sown six kilograms of the beans, she harvested more than 200 kg. Another farmer demonstrated the techniques of managing composts to produce organic manure.

In turn, Mr. Bernard Singirankabo and his wife Espérance Ntahondi were delighted with the improved agricultural yield obtained thanks to the support of TUBURA which allows them to meet the food needs of their families. They added that the agricultural surplus sold in the market is an asset to meet other family needs and undertake other self-development projects. Singirankabo said the income from agricultural products enabled him to buy cows and pigs for livestock.

The Ambassador of the United States of America and her delegation continued their trip to Kiremera village in Giheta commune where they visited the farmers who are members of the Sangwe cooperative and who are supported by the NGO TUBURA from the agricultural season A of this year. Those members appreciated the results already obtained from that support, particularly in terms of increasing agricultural production. Those farmers notably asked representatives of the NGO TUBURA to expand the range of seeds distributed. They also called for the extension of the repayment period beyond six months, and support for livestock purchase loans.

On their part, the Director General of the National Agency for the Regulation and Promotion of Cooperative Societies, the Director General of the National Agency for Food Security Stock Management and the administrator of Giheta commune were delighted with the positive results made thanks to the support of the NGO TUBURA.

They recommended to that NGO, which works in 335 villages of Gitega, Muramvya, Kayanza, Mwaro and Ngozi provinces, to extend its interventions to the other villages of the country, and particularly to farmers who are members of cooperatives. They asked cooperative members to sensitize those who have not yet joined them to do so to work in synergy with others.

The Ambassador of the United States of America and her delegation awarded prizes consisting of loincloths, T-shirts and seed-saving bags to the farmers visited.