GITEGA September 20th (ABP) – The Burundi Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca gathered on Saturday September 17, 2022, at the Magnificate center in Gitega (center of the country), all the provincial and communal administrators, all the directors of the provincial offices of the environment, agriculture and livestock as well as representatives of the FOMI factory.
It was within the framework of evaluating in each province, the progress of the preparation of the current cropping season A as well as the inventory of fixtures on the supply of selected seeds and different kinds of agricultural inputs produced by the FOMI factory.
To acquire reliable data, the Prime Minister gave the floor to each governor to present the situation of his area of intervention in relation to the inventory of fertilizers ordered as well as the quantity of the latter already collected in their stocks.
After that presentation, the observation was that the quantity of Imbura, Totahaza, Bagara and Dolomite fertilizers already distributed inside the country is currently less than 23%.
For example, Rutana province ordered 2,271 tons of Imbura type, 461,100 tons of Totahaza, 36,400 tons of Bagara and 656,300 tons of Dolomite. On that order, that province already has in its stock 757,125 tons of Imbura fertilizer, 7 tons of Totahaza, 575 kg of Bagara and 63,600 tons of Dolomite.
Ruyigi province has also already recorded in its stock 496.35 tons of Imbura fertilizer out of 2,973.5 tons ordered, 37,700 tons of Totahaza out of 386.95 tons, 900 kg of Bagara out of 43.65 tons and 217.9 tons of Dolomite on 325.25 tons.
The Deputy General Manager of the Fomi factory, Helmenégilde Manyange, speaking, said that out of 50,000 tons ordered, the FOMI factory has already manufactured 17,000 tons, but that this factory has 13,700 tons of raw material which can generate a production of 27,400 tons in almost two and a half months.
To overcome that problem, Mr. Manyange reported that the FOMI factory is in the process of extending to Bujumbura, that in six months this new part will produce a quantity of 200,000 tons of fertilizer per year. After it will have another extension in Bukemba in Rutana province, he added.
To that end, the Prime Minister reassured the population. He said that until Tuesday September 20, 2022, this problem related to the lack of fertilizers in all the provinces of the country will be resolved and that he will not have a big delay for that season.
Mr. Ndirakobuca urged all stakeholders in the agricultural sector in Burundi to change the mentality so as not to betray the population. He pointed out that whatever it is, fertilizers must be available to farmers. He added that they are going to be benefited by the farmers and not the speculators who store these inputs in their homes. The example noted is that of the city of Kayanza where the orders recorded exceed much more than the sum of the orders of all the other hills of this commune. He challenged the administrators and those responsible for agriculture to collaborate closely and closely follow up all the questions of farmers.
The Minister in charge of the Interior, for his part, called on the administrative authorities to remain vigilant in order to combat speculation, because some farmers may sell these inputs in neighboring countries.
Note that Prime Minister Ndirakobuca has urged FOMI plant officials to make available since this week the fertilizers that farmers in Cibitoke, Bubanza and Bujumbura provinces did not have in cropping season C while they have purchase orders.