Bujumbura : farmers feel cheated by the fertilizer distribution

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, August 19, 2025 – As the growing season is in full swing, farmers in several districts of Bujumbura province (west) are alarmed : the chemical fertilizers they ordered and paid for have still not arrived. They denounce the authorities’ “bad faith” and fear a significant decline in their harvests.

In the villages, frustration is palpable. Many report not having received Imbura fertilizer, intended to improve soil fertility during the dry season. Those who were counting on urea, used during the peak growing season, also find themselves without resources.

“We paid, but nothing comes. It’s as if the State has robbed us,” laments a farmer we met in the district of Kanyosha. According to several accounts, some fields are already beginning to show signs of drying out due to a lack of nutrients.

The Ministry of Agriculture admits to difficulties. Stocks are reportedly depleted in national warehouses. However, authorities assure us that new batches are being shipped from abroad and are urging producers to be patient.

This shortage has rekindled the debate on logistical planning and transparency in the distribution of agricultural inputs. In a country where agriculture remains the pillar of food security, such disruptions risk having a direct impact on yields and the income of rural households.