The national sociopolitical crisis and the economic sanctions established by neighbouring countries have led to economic decline and increasing impoverishment. Infrastructures, agricultural services and research have been deeply affected. Any process of relaunching and intensifying agricultural activities should therefore be accompanied by strengthening of extension and support services. Extension services should be equipped and trained to propagate appropriate technical packages, which have already been tested at research stations or on farms in other development projects in Burundi. The private sector, in particular farmers’ groups, should be involved and given an increasing role in production and distribution of inputs and in marketing.

Planned

Achieved

To recruit 24 additional extension agents, bringing the total to 92 or one per hill, two technical assistants, an animal husbandry officer specializing in fodder crops and an administrator/ financial controller.

The project recruited staff relevant to the different activities. In 1999, however, the project prepared a staff streamlining/ redeployment plan, in conformity with the national restructuring of extension services, resulting in a reduction of staff from 236 to 189.

Training sessions for extensionists, technical officers, technicians and farmers’ groups were implemented.

Extension and demonstration activities were carried out for crop farmers, with the technical support of the Institute for Agronomic Science of Burundi (ISABU).

The project area was characterized by lack of infrastructures and communication systems, in particular roads and feeder roads. The social problems made the situation even worse. Some feeder roads and rural tracks were inaccessible during rainy seasons because they had not been maintained.

Appraisal

Implementation

To build and equip a complex of 13 offices, six staff houses and a training centre at Bururi.

To finance an input warehouse and five storage and distribution stores in the main communal centres.

To rehabilitate and maintain 282 km of rural tracks.

The project headquarters were completed.

Five stores were completed.

Some 86.5 km of feeder roads have been rehabilitated with the support of the World Food Programme’s food-for-work (FFW) scheme, 117% of the target. Road maintenance has achieved only 31% of its target, however.

Local farmers had no access to credit because the Coopérative d’Epargne et de Crédit (COOPEC) was not present in the project area. The great majority of producers paid cash for inputs from the Coordination Provincial de l’Agriculture et de l’Elevage or from the South Bututsi project, which received the inputs from the General Directorate of Agriculture.

To initiate credit operations together with COOPEC and establish credit groups to facilitate access to improved inputs, equipment and livestock and setting up small livestock-raising units of poultry, small ruminants, rabbits, bees and fish; and to promote income-generating activities such as mills, particularly for women.

To establish 24 women’s groups of 20 members each, and recruit six women extension agents to advise these groups in commercial operations.

97.8% of credit for smallholder dairy farms activities and 71.1% of credit for livestock introduction in farming households has been recovered.

The women’s economic advancement sub-component will begin implementation when the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Actions designates a coordinator at the start of the reformulated credit activities.

This project region is characterized by high population density and average family farmlands of less than 1 ha. The resultant demographic pressure contributed to the overexploitation of arable land and the depletion of pasture and natural reserves, all for agricultural purposes. Any activity related to intensification in livestock production must therefore be combined with conservation measures to control soil erosion, reduce overgrazing of pasture and reforest hilltops, steep slopes and land currently unsuitable for production.

Planned

Achieved

To promote integration of crop and animal husbandry and forest management through the introduction of pasture conservation and improvement measures and 100 ha of tree-planting schemes on farms.

To provide protection against run-off water and wind erosion on communal pastureland. About 450 m of Setaria hedges would be planted by farmers along contour lines.

To finance the establishment of tree nurseries and the distribution of 100 000 seedlings to be sold to farmers.

The project promoted passion fruit plantation, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to further support private-sector participation. Some 81 560 passion fruit seedlings have been distributed to private farms.

Project-run nurseries have produced and distributed 128 215 forestry seedlings, 71% of the target. The project is also promoting private-sector nurseries. So far, 24 have been established by 22 associations of 88 members, of whom 50% are women, and by two women-only associations. The private-sector nurseries have produced 137 130 forestry seedlings, 208% of the target.

To establish 50 ha of fodder crops.

To finance ISABU research programmes associated with these pilot activities and introduction of improved fodder crops.

1.5 ha of forage crops for fodder were established; 53 ha were maintained, 115% of the target.

No information on the research activities is yet available.

The project has assisted in the rehabilitation of the Bururi livestock salt block plant, distributing 3 300 salt blocks (approximately 12 tonnes).

The livestock production system in the project area is mainly extensive, characterized by low productivity. It is in most cases a form of capitalization or savings and occasionally a source of income though sales of milk and meat. Livestock provide manure for crop production.
The present crisis resulted in:

• the destruction of national herds — 15% of the cattle and 32% of the small ruminants;
• the destruction of veterinary infrastructures; and
• lack of veterinary products and equipment as a result of the economic embargo.

Cattle breeding in Bututsi needs to be rationalized and integrated with food production. Increased stall feeding is essential to halt further degradation of pastureland and to produce sufficient organic fertilizer to sustain intensified food production. Improved animal husbandry and related income-generating activities such as dairy production, fattening and animal traction would in the long term render cattle breeding more profitable and contribute to meeting the cost of intensified food production.

To introduce artificial-insemination services with imported Ayrshire semen for 30 000 local Ankole breed cows.

To create 200 new cattle raising units by supplying one cow to each farmer who does not possess animals, and 100 micro-dairy farms by supplying one improved dairy cow to each advanced stockbreeder.

To create 300 simple stables for bull fattening by providing selected stockbreeders with two animals each for fattening over two cycles of four months. Initial costs and necessary inputs would be deducted at the sale of the animals.

To rehabilitate Kyriama Dairy.

To strengthen the cattle herd at Rwira farm to ensure continued genetic upgrading of the local breed; to purchase 30 local cows and one Ayrshire steer; and to supply 20 yokes of oxen and ox-drawn equipment to demonstrate animal-drawn cultivation methods at Rwira and other farms.

7 200 cows were artificially inseminated, and 40 were naturally serviced. 344 improved sires, 150 bulls and 195 rams, were provided to farmers.

119 small dairy farms were set up, of which 13 were managed by women. The project is providing extension services and technical backstopping to 63 existing small dairy farms with a total of 147 cows.

Only ten stables for bull fattening were completed.

The building of livestock facilities has been delayed because of lack of expertise to write the technical specifications of the tender document.

One of two milk-processing associations is operational.

A livestock inventory survey was carried out in the six communes, where the cattle population is about 90 000 head, an increase of 20% since 1997.

Producers’ groups have been formed for aquaculture and beekeeping; technical training has been provided. The launch of these activities depends on the resumption of disbursement.

Internal and external parasites and their associated diseases are causing major health problems for livestock in the Bututsi region. Degraded tick-control infrastructure and lack of veterinary services and products resulted in severe cattle losses, especially during the period of social conflict.

To construct four dipping tanks against ticks and ten crush-pens for veterinary treatment.

To refurbish a veterinary dispensary in Muzenga.

1 344 754 veterinary interventions were carried out, mainly vaccinations and treatment of external and internal parasites.

The project is supporting the government policy of privatizing veterinarian drug sales by assisting in the establishment of seven privately run veterinarian pharmacies. As a result of project suspension, however, drug supplies could not be maintained and the pharmacies ran out of stock.