BUJUMBURA, May 17th (ABP) – Under the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, the ADISCO, CAPAD, CSA and BD consortium, in partnership with ISABU and the FAO, organized a workshop last week to close and present the achievements of the TIN project, which was set up to support the adoption and implementation of sustainable agricultural practices that restore and improve soil fertility.
In his speech, Mr. Emmanuel Ndorimana, Assistant to the Minister for the Environment, explained that the project had lasted 5 years, and had supported a number of family farmers, 45% of whom were women and 32% men, in the communes where it was implemented.
The TIN project also helped to restore and improve soil fertility in 28 communes in five provinces: Karusi, Kayanza, Ngozi, Ruyigi and Cankuzo.
It was built on the experimentation and promotion of improved agro-ecological practices adapted to the difficulties experienced by farmers in managing their soil fertility, and drew on their know-how with the collaboration of research, he added.
With regard to improving agriculture and livestock breeding, he pointed out that the Government of Burundi, in collaboration with its development partners, is committed to doing everything possible to restore and improve soil fertility and combat erosion, with the support of the National Fertilizer Subsidy Program in Burundi (PNSEB), which enables farmers to acquire organo-mineral fertilizers at a reduced price.
According to Ruber Bukobero, General Secretary of the Support for Integral Development and Solidarity in the Hills (ADISCO) program, the TIN project has carried out two types of activities in these five provinces: intensive capacity-building for producers in the field of soil fertility improvement, and training for farmers in contour marking to protect the environment.
This project has provided the community with animals (goats and pigs) to increase manure, as well as billy goats for the multiplication of the local breed, he mentioned, adding that through the cash transfer, the said project has also provided the communities with a large amount of money to get their projects off to a good start.
Jean Marie Bidaha, Programme Manager for Rural Development and Nutrition for the European Delegation in Burundi, announced that the motivation for the TIN project was due to the fact that, before, donors were focused on the extension of mineral fertilizers. However, thanks to a study carried out by researchers at the Burundi Institute of Agronomic Sciences (ISABU), it has been shown that there is a need to combine other farming practices, notably agri-ecology and the production of organic manure, in order to reduce the effects linked to soil acidity, he pointed out.
Despite the challenges noted in the project’s achievements, Mr. Bukobero stated that the European Union, which financed the TIN project, remains close to the Burundian population and will continue to support farmers, in order to achieve the national vision.