BUJUMBURA April 12nd (ABP) – The Prime Minister of Burundi, Mr. Gervais Ndirakobuca, held a meeting on Monday April 8 at the Bujumbura city for agricultural stakeholders and administrative staff from Burundi’s various provinces, with the aim of jointly assessing the activities of the National Food Security Stock Management Agency (ANAGESSA) in collecting maize production at national level.
Mr. Ndirakobuca, who pointed out that there are traders who import maize and resell it to ANAGESSA, urged provincial and communal administrators, provincial directors in charge of agriculture, as well as security agents in the country’s various provinces, to correct the shortcomings observed in the purchase and collection of maize by ANAGESSA.
That government activity of collecting maize production from farmers guarantees a food reserve for Burundi and ensures good management of that production, he explained.
The Prime Minister called on all those involved in the production and purchase of maize to make an inventory of all maize production not yet sold, and to estimate the remaining quantity. That will prevent cheating by certain traders, which puts farmers at a disadvantage. He urges the population to sell the surplus to meet other family needs.
In order to facilitate the smooth collection of maize production throughout the country by ANAGESSA, Mr. Ndirakobuca stressed that a payment monitoring committee would be set up. Grassroots administrative staff are urged to be on the ground at all times when corn seed is being purchased and collected.
Note that ANAGESSA has been granted a period of no more than four 4 days to pay all the debts it owes to farmers.