Bururi : farmers shun certified potato seeds despite falling prices

SOS Médias Burundi

Burunga, July 17, 2025 — In the middle of the dry season, farmers in the Bururi region, in the new Burunga province in southern Burundi, are massively turning away from certified potato seeds. This unexpected attitude is causing concern among seed multipliers, who are bewildered by the sudden drop in demand.

However, prices have been revised downward : from 8,000 Burundi francs (BIF) per kilogram last year to around 2,500–3,000 BIF this season. But this doesn’t seem to be enough. Industry professionals are now speaking of a silent boycott.

Growers, for their part, justify their reluctance by bitter memories of past shortages and prices deemed prohibitive. “We have taken steps,” confides a farmer in the region. “We have saved our own seeds from previous harvests.”
This strategy of self-sufficiency is becoming widespread in several districts, to the detriment of seeds controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Seed multipliers express their dismay. They denounce a worrying loss of interest in a product whose quality is nevertheless recognized. “We’ve made great efforts to make certified seeds more accessible. But farmers aren’t responding,” they lament.

Faced with this situation, agricultural authorities are calling for a reinforced awareness campaign. They emphasize the benefits of certified seeds : higher yields, increased disease resistance, and a significant contribution to food security.

“We must convince farmers that certified seeds are an investment, not a burden,” insists a local source from the Ministry of Agriculture. “Without collective mobilization, the entire potato industry risks stagnating.”

Yet the potato remains an economically valuable crop in this region. Grown twice a year, on the hills and in the marshes, it constitutes an essential source of income for thousands of households.

But if mistrust persists, some agricultural experts warn, there is a serious risk of seeing a decline in productivity and harvest quality in the coming seasons.