Kayanza – Farming season B threatened : farmers denounce delays in fertilizer distribution

SOS Médias Burundi

In the districts of Matongo and Muruta, in northern Burundi, farmers are sounding the alarm. Delays in the distribution of chemical fertilizers are jeopardizing the farming season B, threatening to seriously compromise harvests.

Kayanza, April 11, 2025 – Concern is palpable among farmers in Matongo and Muruta, two districts in Kayanza province. As the crop flowering season approaches, many have still not received the necessary fertilizers, despite having paid the company FOMI (Organo-Mineral Fertilizers).

“We paid on time, but the fertilizers are not arriving. “It’s incomprehensible,” laments a farmer from Muruta. “We are fully committed to production, but without real support, our efforts are doomed to failure.”

Farmers are already noticing a slowdown in the growth of their crops, compared to the farming season A. Corn, beans, and potatoes are showing signs of weakness, a direct result of the lack of inputs.

According to several local sources, fertilizers are nevertheless available from the provincial Directorate of the Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock. However, some local officials are accused of favoring small groups or appropriating quantities intended for ordinary farmers.

“We have the impression that local authorities are turning a blind eye. If this continues, the season will be lost,” adds another farmer from Matongo.

Calls for intervention from relevant authorities are increasing. Farmers are calling on the central government to take urgent measures to ensure the fair and timely distribution of fertilizers, an essential condition for the success of the B farming season, known as “Impeshi.”

Contacted about this, the provincial Directorate of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock did not respond to our requests.

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A farmer in a corn field in Kirundo province, northern Burundi (SOS Médias Burundi)