BUJUMBURA July 21st (ABP) – The Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, Community Development and Public Security through the Burundi Development Authority (ADB), organized on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 in Bujumbura, a meeting to assess the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) needs of private and public actors in the Burundian horticultural sector, for access to local, regional and international markets.
In his opening remarks, the Director General of the ADB, Mr. Didace Ngendakumana, indicated that his institution has already organized a lot of actions to promote horticulture. However, he said, this sector faces many obstacles that need to be overcome in order to allow economic operators and the economy of Burundi in general to enjoy the wealth it abounds.
Mr. Ngendakumana also pointed out that the initiative to identify barriers to export and trade development fits well with the mission of the ADB, which is related to the promotion of new sectors with export potential for the diversification.
He therefore recalled that Burundian agriculture is the pillar of the economy, while specifying that the latter employs more or less 84% of the workforce and accounts for more than 40% of gross domestic products (GDP). Nevertheless, he pointed out that it faces many challenges that hinder its growth and development.
Mr. Ngendakumana also indicated that horticulture as a sub-sector of agriculture, is one of the very attractive links to be a growth sector, and especially for its potential for export and job creation.
According to the Director General of the ADB, the promotion function calls upon a plurality of activities which range from research and development of the exportable supply to the facilitation and support of exports through support actions and technical advice.
He took the opportunity to show that the main missions are related to the promotion of investments and exports. He explained that this initiative is part of the implementation of the National Development Plan (PND 2018-2027), which specifies that the long-term objective aims, among other things, to restore the structural balance of the Burundian economy by strengthening food self-sufficiency, increasing and improving the quality of production agricultural export and diversification.
He further added that the ADB would therefore not fail to support actions that are in line with the planned development actions.
As for Mr. Alfred Ndayizeye, who represented the fruit interprofession of Burundi, he indicated that the international, regional and even local markets are becoming increasingly too demanding in terms of “sanitary and phytosanitary” measures and indicated that its vision is to build a Burundian sector commercially profitable and competitive, recognized by the market as a reliable supplier of fresh fruits and quality by-products with respect for the environment and fair trade.
It is worth recalling that this meeting brought together senior government officials, the representative of the fruit interprofession of Burundi, representatives of support facilities for the development of the horticulture sector, managers of companies and cooperatives working in the horticulture sector.