KIRUNDO December 20th (ABP) – The government of Burundi has set up the Support Project for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Livestock Value Chains in Burundi “PADCAE-B”, to intensify the cultivation of maize and rice, with a view to improving the people’s living conditions. This was said by Mr. Adrien Miburo responsible for the agricultural component within PADCAE-B.
Mr. Miburo specified that the areas of intervention of that project are located in the provinces of Kirundo (north), Muyinga (north-east) and Ngozi (north) and that the focus is on the development of swamps before use. He also indicated that there are plans to develop the livestock of pigs and goats, specifying that people teamed up in cooperatives are favored.
As for the Director General of human resources within the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Lazard Nsaguye, he pointed out that the PADCAE-B project supported people from the Kirundo, Muyinga and Ngozi provinces, in the growing of maize by providing them with fertilizers and more productive seeds. He specified that 332 hectares of swamps exploited in those three provinces are covered with maize ready to harvest soon, namely the swamp of Muhara-Ruhohera-Kagera, measuring 200 hectares and that of Kubuyenge which has 40 hectares, both of Kirundo province.
Added to this is the Kankavyondo swamp in Muyinga province which has 42 hectares and that of Nyaruteke in Ngozi province measuring 50 hectares. According to figures provided by PADCAE-B’s supervisory ministry, 332 hectares will provide 996 tons of maize because one hectare produces 3 tons. For all those swamps, Mr. Nsaguye added, about 20 tons of maize seeds were distributed to farmers.
According to him, the objective of the government is that the Agro-pastoral production be satisfactory and of good quality, which will allow the people to have what to eat and therefore have the strength to develop their country. That executive of the ministry in charge of agriculture asked the operators of those swamps to protect those public goods and to follow all the pieces of advice given by the agricultural technicians. He did not forget to wink at them, saying that it is always necessary to proceed with the good management of the harvest to avoid famine and poverty in their households. He also recalled the government’s recently initiated program of five rabbits per person, by which he invited the people to start implementing it for their welfare.
The beneficiaries of the project warmly thanked the government, which is giving its all to improve their living conditions. They took the opportunity to request the development of other swamps to be harnessed in a modern way in all corners.