BUJUMBURA, July 11th (ABP) – Payment of the balance for fertilizers and dolomite for the 2024 season C begins Thursday, July 11, 2024 and will end on Saturday, August 10, 2024, the Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Ir. Prosper Dodiko said during a press briefing on the distribution of fertilizers and amendments for the 2024 season C, held Monday, July 8, 2024.
On that occasion, Minister Dodiko congratulated farmers for their dedication to increasing agricultural production and protecting land assets, by drawing contour lines. This shows that farmers have already started contributing to the implementation of the vision of Burundi emerging in 2040 and developed in 2060. To that end, he declared that the prices of fertilizers and dolomite from last season remain unchanged, and the government has decided to cover the additional costs. Thus, the subsidized and market prices are for FOMI Imbura 75,216 BIF per bag including 31,000 BIF from the farmer and 44,216 from the government, the price of UREE is worth 73,755 BIF per bag including 33,000 BIF for the farmer and 40,755 BIF which constitutes the government’s share.
The price of FOMI Bagara remains 67,545 BIF per bag including 28,000 BIF from the farmer and 39,545 BIF from the government, and 19,000 BIF for a bag of dolomite including 5,000 BIF from the farmer and 14,000 BIF from the government.
For farmers who had difficulty transporting a 50 kg bag of dolomite, Minister Dodiko reported that the ministry has decided to reduce the weight of the dolomite bag from 50 kg to 25 kg. However, one voucher is equivalent to two 25 kg bags of dolomite. In addition, for farmers who have already sown before receiving fertilizer, he reminded that it is possible to apply fertilizer around the plants.
Minister Dodiko took the opportunity to ask farmers to double their efforts by diversifying crops, particularly market gardening and other crops with a short growing cycle, and the ministry will spare no effort to support them. He also took recalled that the corn collection campaign ends Saturday, July 13, 2024, so that reimbursement of farmers can begin from Monday July 15, 2024.
Regarding the results of the corn purchasing campaigns, he said that during the first campaign 36,000 tonnes were collected while for the second campaign 32,000 tonnes have already been collected, i.e., 68,000 tonnes to which the quantities of corn to be collected from today July 8 until Saturday July 13, 2024 will be added.