Kiremba : end of planting without fertilizer, farmers on the brink of despair

SOS Médias Burundi

Kiremba, March 18, 2026 — The planting period for the B farming season officially ended on March 15, 2026, in Burundi, leaving behind a deep sense of frustration among farmers in the Kiremba district, in Butanyerera province, in the north of this small east African nation. The reason : the lack of organo-mineral fertilizers supplied by FOMI (Industrial Organo-Mineral Fertilizers), even though farmers had paid the full amount for seasons A and B last year.

In this predominantly agricultural district, many farmers were forced to plant without any fertilizer, seriously jeopardizing their yields. The situation is all the more critical because many households do not have livestock—cows, pigs, or goats—capable of providing alternative organic manure.

“I had no other choice,” says Shuti, a farmer in the Musasa zone. “We were promised organo-mineral fertilizers from FOMI. Since I don’t have any organic fertilizer, I sowed with nothing. Now, three weeks after germination, my bean plants are starting to yellow. It’s because of the lack of soil fertility.”

Itangishaka, another farmer in the same district, calls on the authorities :

“We paid for fertilizers for seasons A and B last year. For season A, we only received a small amount compared to our order. And now, season B has already been sown without us receiving even a single kilo of fertilizer. The government must explain to us where our money has gone.”

This crisis is occurring at a time when adherence to the agricultural calendar is crucial. In Burundi, planting for season B generally takes place from early February to March 15. Beyond this period, crops risk having their maturation phase coincide with the start of the dry season (season C), leading to a water deficit before maturity and, consequently, a significant yield loss.

Faced with this situation, the Minister of Finance and that of Agriculture, respectively Alain Ndikumana and Calinie Mbarushimana, made an unannounced visit to FOMI on March 17, 2026, to understand the reasons for the delay in fertilizer distribution.

According to FOMI’s Director General, Simon Ntirampeba, and his deputy, the delay is primarily due to a lack of foreign currencies for importing the raw materials needed to manufacture fertilizers.” Added to this are frequent power outages and fuel shortages, as Burundi has been mired in a persistent fuel crisis for over five years. The factory also faces a colossal debt of over $368 million, incurred to maintain production and meet domestic demand.

Meanwhile, in Kiremba, anxiety is growing. Fields are sown, but without fertilizer, and hopes for good harvests are dwindling daily. For many farmers, the B farming season could well mean economic losses and increased food insecurity.

Meanwhile, the situation in Kiremba is not an isolated case. In several other districts of the small east African nation, farmers are denouncing insufficient quantities of fertilizer, repeated delays, partial or unfair distribution, and some deliveries arriving several months after the relevant farming season. These shortcomings have direct consequences on harvests and exacerbate food insecurity nationwide.