Bururi : FOMI fertilizer distribution suspended amid farmer protests

SOS Médias Burundi

Bururi, February 12, 2026 – The distribution of FOMI fertilizers has been experiencing tensions for several months in the small east African nation. Across all regions, farmers are denouncing insufficient quantities, delivery delays, and a lack of equity in access to agricultural inputs, which directly threatens harvests and food security. In Bururi, Burunga province in southern Burundi, distribution was suspended on Tuesday, February 11, 2026, following a protest by farmers.

A decision contested by beneficiaries who are owed arrears

The suspension stems from a discrepancy in the application of directives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and the Environment. According to ministerial instructions, the distribution was to prioritize farmers who had arrears from the previous growing season before addressing new applicants.

However, some local authorities had considered a “bulk” distribution, without distinguishing between existing and new beneficiaries. This approach angered the affected farmers, who staged a sit-in in front of the Bururi district offices to protest the measure. Faced with rising tensions, the Bururi district administrator decided to postpone the distribution until next Monday.

Insufficient stock

The suspension is also due to the low available stock. On Wednesday, the Bururi Provincial Bureau of Agriculture and Livestock (BPAE) had only 30 tons of FOMI Imbura, a quantity deemed far too low to meet the demand. In several areas of the district, notably Bamba and Muzenga, distribution had not even begun. Farmers contacted stated that the quantities already delivered remain insufficient.

In Matana, directives followed

The situation is reportedly different in the district of Matana, where ministerial directives have been correctly implemented. Farmers with outstanding payments were served first, each receiving two bags of FOMI Bagara fertilizer, while new applicants are expected to be supplied later.

A national issue

The problem of FOMI fertilizer arrears had already sparked a heated debate in the National Assembly and the Senate at the end of January. Parliamentarians had then asked the company in charge of distribution to rectify the situation. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Alain Ndikumana, had denounced the lack of transparency surrounding the management and distribution of fertilizers during a session before the senators.

The situation in Bururi is not an isolated case. In several other districts of the small east African nation, farmers are denouncing insufficient quantities, delays, biased distribution, and some distributions occurring several months after the relevant farming season, with direct consequences for harvests.

The resumption of distribution in Bururi is now expected next Monday, in an atmosphere still marked by mistrust among farmers, who are demanding greater transparency and fairness in access to agricultural inputs.

FOMI : Industrial Organo-Mineral Fertilizers.