KAYANZA September 27th (ABP) – The Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Déo Guide Rurema hosted, Friday September 24, 2021, in the capital of Kayanza province (north of the country), a press briefing where he reassured that selected seeds and organo-mineral inputs for the 2022 A cropping season, are available. He was pleased that farmers have already understood the government’s policy to pool plots of land for block farming, which facilitates the provision of inputs, and common supervision. He reassured the farmers that sufficient quantities of selected seeds, pre-bases and organo-mineral fertilizers (FOMI) are available.
Regarding FOMI’s organo-mineral fertilizers, he specified that 25,020.43 tons of Imbura type fertilizer, 865.95 tons for FOMI Totahaza, 962.63 tons for FOMI Bagara and 10,389.05 tons of dolomite are already available.
Regarding selected seeds, Minister Rurema specified that 17,0454 tons of corn seeds were subsidized and distributed by the government while 316,225 other tons of corn seeds and 45,476 tons of bean seeds were delivered by seed multipliers.
Other seeds were produced by organizations like SOBUPRODIA and Tubura and the Higher Institute of Agronomic Research of Burundi (ISABU, added Mr. Rurema. He took this opportunity to warn speculators about the price of seeds. adding that the agents of his ministry are on the ground for regular monitoring, from where he recalled that the price of hybrid maize seeds is 3,200 BIF per kg and that traders must in no case exceed the price of 6,000 BIF per kg as for composite maize, he indicated that the kilogram should be priced at 1,500 BIF.
The minister responsible for agriculture also welcomed the fact that the organo-mineral fertilizer manufacturing plant has contributed a lot because it has made it possible to limit foreign exchange expenditure on the import of chemical fertilizers. At the same time, he called on local investors to conduct in-depth research on selected seeds like ISABU to curb the shortage of stocks.
Responding to journalists’ questions on the implementation of the national policy of permanent housing planned from October 4, 2021, Minister Rurema did not go all the way. He pointed out without mince words that all domestic animals should be fed in their barns except for large farmers who can paddock. He thus pointed out that permanent housing is of the utmost importance as it will prevent the dispersion of organic manure in nature.
In addition, he concluded, this policy will limit the spread of animal diseases, the destruction of the environment by bush fires as well as social conflicts.
On the sidelines of the press briefing, the minister in charge of agriculture chaired a meeting with both financial and technical partners in the agro-pastoral sector to inform them of the priorities of the government of Burundi with a view to developing an action plan. common and consolidated.