Nakamb©: Despite the difficult national context, the Nakamb© region is benefiting from significant support from the State as part of the wet agro-pastoral campaign. The Regional Director of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries of Nakamb©, Germain Aim© Traor©, provides an update on the actions undertaken and the progress of the campaign in the region.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the agricultural season has started normally in Nakamb©, depending on the start of rainfall in the various localities. It has been fully underway since the last ten days of June. As of July 20, the cumulative rainfall recorded ranged from 218 mm in 16 days in Koup©la to 430.7 mm in 23 days in Tenkodogo. However, several localities, notably Garango, showed significant rainfall deficits compared to the previous season, with a difference of -210.8 mm.
On the ground, agricultural operations are well advanced. Ploughing work for cereal crops has a completion rate of over 75%, while sowing is 50 to 75% complete. Crops such as maize, sorghum, millet, and rice are mostly at the emergence stage. Legumes are lagging behind, with an emergence rate of between 0 and 25%. An improvement in rainfall in the coming decades would allow sowing to be completed and maintenance work to begin.
As part of the agro-pastoral offensive, the Ministry of Agriculture has made significant efforts to benefit the region’s producers. For the current wet season, Nakamb© received 1,461.135 tonnes of improved seeds, all crops combined, 44.209 tonnes of fodder seeds, as well as 6,510.96 tonnes of fertilizers (NPK, urea and organic manure). These inputs are currently being distributed, according to a reinforced subsidy mechanism.
Producers in security-challenged areas, particularly those in Koulp©logo province, are not left out. Specific measures have been put in place to allow them to access inputs in secure conditions. In terms of livestock farming, livestock farmers in the region were provided with feed. This included 261.9 tonnes of cottonseed meal, 83.5 tonnes of soybean meal and 9.45 tonnes of compound feed.
On the phytosanitary front, the situation is generally calm. Only a few localized attacks of armyworms on corn have been reported. These were quickly brought under control thanks to a stockpile of 720 liters of liquid pesticides and 904 kilograms of solid pesticides, made available free of charge to producers.
The campaign is also marked by an active promotion of agricultural mechanization. The region currently has 32 tractors (including 29 with 60 horsepower and 3 with 80 horsepower) and 15 power tillers. This equipment has enabled the completion of 4,738 hectares of free or subsidized ploughing (10,000 FCFA/ha for the tractor and 5,000 FCFA/ha for the power tiller).
In an effort to intensify rice production, 1,983.25 hectares of lowlands have been developed by communities, using HIMO (High Labor Intensity) approaches, with technical support from decentralized services. These areas also benefit from free ploughing and subsidized agricultural inputs for their development. In addition, agro-pastoral equipment kits were provided to producers, including six fodder production kits and four development kits, distributed at subsidized prices.
All of these efforts are part of the authorities’ desire to make agriculture a driver of economic resilience and food sovereignty. By providing producers with appropriate technical, material, and financial resources, the Burkinabe government intends to strengthen local production capacities in the face of multiple challenges. “We have the foundations for a good campaign and we are working to remove all obstacles to enable producers to produce in quantity and quality,” reassured Germain Aim© Traor©, Regional Director of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries of Nakamb©.