GITEGA March 28th (ABP) – The Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Prosper Dodiko, organized Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in the headquarters of Gitega province (central country), a meeting for seed multipliers and approved sellers of seeds and phytosanitary products from all provinces of the country, with a view to preparing for growing season C, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
In his speech, Minister Dodiko reported that the corn harvest was good during growing season B, and hoped that production would continue to be good during growing season C. That is why, according to him that the ministry has scheduled that meeting with multipliers and sellers of seeds and phytosanitary products, with a view to asking them to continue to multiply agricultural inputs for good agricultural production.
According to Minister Dodiko, the government has taken the initiative to facilitate the task of seed multipliers and sellers, in order to avoid the insufficiency or deficiency of selected seeds and phytosanitary products which is often observed in the country.
The minister has, in fact, asked seed multipliers who have cash and who want to import those products themselves and those who wish to do so, but who cannot order those products themselves, to register. The former is asked to send authorization request letters to the ministry in order to benefit from it as soon as possible, but while respecting the recommendations relating to the importation of those products.
Minister Dodiko did not forget to mention the importation of market garden seeds, adding that since next year, each household will have a marakouja (ibungo) and avocado seed.
During that session, some participants suggested that the bags of agricultural inputs, in particular fertilizers, should be 5, 10, 15 and 25 kg depending on the farmers’ means. The minister indicated that that idea is good, but that the government of Burundi will lose a lot of resources because, according to him, each ticket is purchased at 1200F. Apart from that, there will also be an increase in bags and workers, which may further increase fertilizer prices. To do that, the minister suggested that farmers form groups to order together.