BUBANZA January 1st (ABP) – The Regional Director of IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) in Central and Southern Africa visited, on Wednesday January 30, 2019, the achievements of IFAD-funded projects in Bubanza province (northwestern Burundi), a check on the site by ABP revealed.
Those projects include PRODEFI, PAIVA-B, PNSADR-IM and PROPA-O. They especially support local residents who have organized themselves into self-development cooperatives and individuals, with the aim of improving the productivity and welfare of households.
The data provided by the coordinators of those projects show that with their support, 68 rice storage sheds with a storage capacity of 24,000 tons have already been built. But 11 storage sheds built in Bubanza commune have a storage capacity of 6,800 tons. 14 improved hullers have already been installed, each with a capacity of 700 kg of white rice per hour. Three mini rice mills were built and equipped, with a processing capacity of 18,000 tons. 7,000 hectares of marshlands were developed, resulting in a yield of 1.5 to 5 tons of rice per hectare. A sum of 14 billion BIF was granted as loans to the beneficiaries of those projects, and cattle were distributed.
Ms. Rose Sindayihebura, a widow, is one of the beneficiaries who lives in Gahwazi I village in Mpanda commune. She said that PRODEFI’s support has been beneficial for her family because, she explained, the cow she received in 2013 allowed her to rehabilitate her house and replace the tiles with corrugated iron sheets. In addition, her agricultural production has increased through the use of organic manure, and the sale of milk and the surplus of her harvest have facilitated the schooling of her three children, she said.
The Regional Director of IFAD-funded projects appreciated the achievements because, she said, the objectives of those projects were achieved, including improvements in farming techniques and increased production. Those achievements will be a reference for the orientation of future projects, she said.
The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock and the governor of Bubanza province, who promised the rigorous follow-up of the implementation of those projects, called on beneficiaries to take ownership of those gains for their sustainability.
