In Burundi, a new project is rapidly transforming the agricultural sector, bringing many farmers hope, prosperity, and improved food security. The Great Lakes Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I GLR) Project—locally dubbed Kugwiza Project (which means ‘to increase’ in Kirundi)—through its partnership with the International Potato Center (CIP) and local and international scaling organizations, including World Vision, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), One Acre Fund, CoopEden, and Cooperative Haguruka, is at the forefront of this transformation. AID-I GLR is strengthening the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) value chain and changing lives.
Burundi’s agricultural sector has long been a cornerstone of its economy. However, challenges such as inadequate access to quality planting materials and modern farming techniques have hindered progress.
Within a relatively short time, the Kugwiza Project has undertaken extensive capacity-building activities to ensure the availability of clean OFSP vines across Burundi. Collaborating with the Institut des Sciences Agronomique du Burundi (ISABU), CIP has trained laboratory technicians in producing early-generation seeds and their distribution to seed multipliers for further multiplication. This initiative is crucial for establishing a robust and sustainable seed system.
More than 80 private seed multipliers have been engaged to produce high-quality certified seeds in large quantities, ensuring that farmers can access superior planting materials. Ten mini-screen houses with ten vine multipliers have been established to support this effort, marking a significant milestone in Burundi’s agricultural development.
A seed multiplier from Vumbi Commune in Kirundo Province, Monique Rwasa, attests: “Through training by the Kugwiza Project, I have learned seed multiplication techniques and certification processes. Based on the knowledge I gained, I now explore better market opportunities through connections with potential buyers I met during various project workshops.”
Before the project, Monique faced significant challenges in sourcing pre-basic seeds, often traveling far to ISABU’s research stations. Establishing a mini screen house in her plot has revolutionized her operations.
“With the support of the Kugwiza Project, I can now produce early-generation seeds myself, which has economically improved my farming enterprise,” Monique elaborates.
Monique highlights the advantages of the new vine rapid multiplication technique introduced by CIP, which uses 20cm x 10cm plant spacing. This technique allows seeds that would typically be multiplied on one hectare to be planted and multiplied on about 1,000 sqm of land, significantly reducing labor, input, and land use. As a result, Monique has expanded her farm from 0.5 hectares to 7 hectares. With the additional income from the project, she has purchased 5 hectares of land, built a family house, repaid loans, and funded her children’s university education.
However, peculiar challenges remain in finding a sustainable market for all produced vines and conserving OFSP storage roots after vine cutting. Therefore, the Kugwiza Project has initiated interventions downstream on the value chain to pull vines’ demand. The project introduced OFSP puree to the bakery innovation package. This innovation helps bakeries reduce costs while enhancing their products. Five of the 12 entrepreneurs trained in bakery innovation have already incorporated OFSP puree into their products, with positive results.
“OFSP-based production is very profitable,” attests Vianney Munyemana, a bakery owner and one of the early adopters mentioned above. “Currently, wheat flour is quite expensive: a 25-kilo sack of wheat flour now costs between 105,000 and 110,000 francs [USD 37 and 39]. In comparison, we buy OFSP at 800 or 1,000 francs [USD 0.28 or 0.35] per kilo. Therefore, a 100-kilo bag costs approximately 100,000 francs [USD 35], equivalent to almost four bags of wheat flour. The difference is substantial. Using OFSP puree has significantly reduced production costs and improved the quality of our products. We can now offer healthier options to our customers while increasing our profits.”
Hear more from Vianney and his OFSP puree bakery experience in this video:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FreQo9Nukak[/embedyt]
Contributed by Bertin Nduwayo, Ritha Bumwe, and Jean Claude Nshimiyimana
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