BUJUMBURA May 12th (ABP) – The Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Dr Déo Guide Rurema, presented on Monday, May 9, 2022, in Bujumbura, the results of the achievements of the third quarter of the fiscal year 2021-2022, where he revealed that the action plan for this quarter was executed at a satisfactory rate of 82.42%.
As for the increase in agricultural production, Minister Rurema reported the availability of agricultural inputs, namely 30,568.33 tons of organo-mineral fertilizers, 17,705.65 tons of dolomite, 142.86 tons of maize, 85.812 tons of rice, 24.5 tons of beans, 93.3 tons of potatoes, 2,310,000 sweet potato cuttings, 500,000 cassava cuttings, 195.8 kg of vegetable seeds and 50,000 banana shoots.
Regarding animal and fish production, Dr Rurema said that 2,499 cows were artificially inseminated, 20,000 cattle vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease, 16,770 straws of bovine semen were produced and 7,730 liters of liquid nitrogen were produced, all in the framework of genetic improvement.
For livestock restocking, 1,336 cattle were distributed under the PRDAIGL project with World Bank financing, 4,352 pigs were distributed under projects financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), 2,056 chicks were produced at the Gitega poultry center as well as 700 chicks and 200 piglets which were produced respectively at the Gitega poultry center and at the Karusi breeding center.
As for fish production, Minister Rurema reported the production of 52,900 fingerlings in fish stations and the capture of 8,109 tons of fish.
Regarding the increase in the production of export crops, Mr. Rurema indicated that 12,000,000 coffee seedlings were produced and distributed, 484.5 kg of coffee seeds were sown in germinators, and 34 ha of state coffee plantation have been installed. 6,490.662 tons of green coffee were produced, while an amount of 26,025,454.7 US dollars was retained from the marketing of the coffee collected.
The ministry in charge of agriculture retained an amount equivalent to 6,324,432 US dollars from the marketing of dry tea collected and collected an amount of 1,601,235,700 BIF from the marketing of cotton as well as an amount of 19,942.778,500 BIF, from the marketing of collected sugar.
Regarding palm cultivation, Dr. Rurema reported the production and planting of 70,572 oil palm seedlings, 68,000 oil palm seedlings which are in nurseries in Kinyinya and Kirundo, as well as 5,543 tons of palm oil which have been produced. He added that his ministry is at work for: the promotion of millet cultivation, the revitalization of agronomic and technological research, the protection of productive heritage, the rational management of water resources, the fight against pollution and environmental sanitation, environmental monitoring and the development and sustainable management of forest resources.
As for the rise in food prices observed on the market, Minister Déo Guide Rurema stressed that his ministry is not responsible for controlling prices on the market, but rather it is concerned about the farmer who suffers in the field, and sets the price relative to the effort provided by the latter. He gave the example of the price of a kg of maize which went from 680 BIF to 800 BIF.
He took the opportunity to challenge state officials to implement the call of the President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, who urges them to have vegetable gardens at home and to practice agriculture on their hills of origin as part of contributing to the development of the country.