KIRUNDO, January 8th (ABP) – The Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, via the project to support the sustainable development of agricultural and livestock value chains (PADCAE-B), organized, on Wednesday January 3, 2024, the launch of the maize harvest in the 200-hectare of Muhara-Kagera-Ruhohera swamp in Vumbi commune of Kirundo province (northern Burundi).
According to information provided by the monitoring-evaluation manager within the PADCAE-B project, Mr. Victor Havugwamenshi, 6 tons of hybrid maize seeds of the PAN 53 variety were used in that swamp of over 200 hectares. It is estimated that they have a produce of 800 tons of maize, or 4 tons per hectare, he said, noting that all agricultural inputs were granted by the PADCAE-B project.
The Muhara-Kagera-Ruhohera marsh bordering the Vumbi communes in Kirundo province and Marangara in Ngozi province (northern Burundi) has 4,188 farmers, according to the person responsible for the swamp.
The permanent secretary at the ministry in charge of Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Niyungeko, thanked the swamp farmers who understood the importance of pooling their arable land. He asked them to think about developing from the means obtained from that maize production, while advising them to no longer waste their harvest, but rather to store it in the sheds scattered here and there in the province.
As for the governor of Kirundo province, Mr. Victor Segasago, he invited farmers to also focus on raising small cattle in order to have manure to use in their fields, and to work diligently to support the vision of the Head of State, “Burundi emerging in 2040 and developed in 2060”.
The coordinator of the PADCAE-B project, Mr. Zénon Nsananikiye, for his part, indicated that as long as the project is active, it will always be by the side of the farmers to continue to intensify maize and rice cultivation to finally improve the people’s living conditions.
The beneficiaries of that project commend the initiative of the government of Burundi which is committed to improving their living conditions. They say that before the project, the swamp did not produce satisfactory production following inappropriate exploitation. They add that they are now satisfied with its production, knowing that they are varying the crops using modern agricultural techniques.
The same activity continued in Kayanza province on January 4 and 5, 2024, where the maize harvest was also launched in the Nyandirika and Kiyaya swamps in Butaganzwa commune.
In Kayanza, the intensification of maize cultivation is supported by the “AEFPF-Burundi” emergency agricultural production project.
According to the Provincial Director of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock in Kayanza province, Mr. Adelin Niyonsaba, on 3,383 hectares exploited in that province, an estimated agricultural production of 16,920 tons of maize is expected.