Mpanda : Imbonerakure water hoarding accusations plunge rice farmers into disarray

SOS Médias Burundi

Mpanda, June 25, 2026 – Rice farmers in the Mpanda rice-growing area and surrounding zones, managed by the Imbo Regional Development Company (SRDI) in Bujumbura Province, western Burundi, are facing a severe water shortage during the B farming season, which is currently experiencing an unusually long extension. This situation is seriously jeopardizing harvest prospects in this agricultural area, considered strategic.

According to the president of the Mpanda rice farmers’ cooperative, the expected losses could be significant. Of the approximately 20 hectares under cultivation, less than half of the land is likely to reach maturity due to the water deficit affecting the crops.

“The situation is very worrying.” “A large portion of the fields are not receiving enough water. If nothing changes, the harvest will fall far short of expectations,” he confides.

Beyond the climatic constraints, rice farmers are also denouncing local water distribution practices that they consider unfair. They accuse a group of members of the Imbonerakure, the youth league of the CNDD-FDD party, of interfering in irrigation water management by favoring some farmers at the expense of others.

According to several farmers, these practices have contributed to worsening the water shortage in the plots furthest from the main canals. Some claim that only producers with financial resources or influential connections manage to obtain regular access to water.

“We have the impression that water distribution is no longer fair. Some fields are well irrigated, while others remain completely dry,” laments a rice farmer.

When contacted about this, the SRDI management acknowledged that the current dry season is causing a significant decrease in the flow of the Gifurwe River, the main source of water for the irrigated area. However, they believe that water distribution management should fall under the purview of the local administration, calling for improved organization on the ground.

According to a source within SRDI, some irregularities in water distribution are linked to interventions outside the official management system, necessitating stricter oversight to ensure fairness among farmers.

Faced with this situation, rice farmers are pleading for urgent measures to strengthen the water supply, particularly by increasing the flow delivered to the irrigation canals. They fear that the water deficit observed for several weeks will lead to irreversible losses.

In this agricultural area, several producers are already pessimistic about the outcome of the season, believing their fields have suffered too much water stress to hope for a satisfactory harvest.