CIBITOKE, January 7th (ABP) – Good production of beans and maize for the A 2024-2025 cropping season is on the horizon on several hills in the Mabayi commune, in Cibitoke province, according to the director of the Cibitoke provincial office for the environment, agriculture and livestock (BPEAE), Jean Pierre Niyimpa.
Niyimpa fears that rain mixed with wind and hail could damage beans about to ripen and maize in full bloom.
Some farmers have already started harvesting beans, while others are worried that heavy rains could damage their fields.
For Edmond Uwobikundiye, in charge of production and plant protection at BPEAE Cibitoke, household incomes should improve with the good practices in place under the Support project for ecosystem conservation in the Rusizi watershed (PACECOR).
Indeed, after having observed that the fields of producer schools (CEP), had small surfaces, it was proceeded to the pooling of the grounds, resulting in fields of radiation of more or less 5 hectares, according to that person in charge. In that way, each hill can have 3 or 4 sites with such surface areas where supervision takes place, we were told.
Those new demonstration fields have become Integrated Producer School Fields (CEPI), where those who have pooled their land also benefit from capacity building, good quality seeds and banana planting material, according to the same source.
As for Jean Marie Hasubizimana, in charge of development at the Cibitoke BPEAE, PACECOR aims to restore land invaded by erosion, mainly due to bush fires, and to protect soil, such as banks and ravines. He added that through the protection of watersheds overlooking the Nyamagana River upstream, the aim is also to protect hydrographic structures downstream.
With the project’s specific aim of protecting and enhancing the ecosystem services of the Rusizi river watershed, at least 390,388 seedlings of various species, including grevilias, eucalyptus, calliandra, cedrella, maesopsis, neem, prunus and markhamia, are in the nurseries and will be planted from February 2025, according to Fidèle Nzigamiye, head of the Cibitoke branch of the Burundian Office for Environmental Protection (OBPE).