BUBANZA, April 2nd (ABP) – Some farmers in the commune of Mpanda (north-west Burundi) are worried that production could fall that cropping season B, due to insufficient urea fertiliser at a time when crops, especially rice, need it, according to local sources.
Rice has been grown on 3120 hectares of land in that commune, and urea requirements are estimated at 1248 tonnes, while expected production is 18720 tonnes. Maize has been sown on 780 hectares, requiring 156 tonnes of urea for an expected production of 3,510 tonnes, according to Nimpaye, the local agronomist.
Eric Ngiriyabandi, one of the farmers in Rugenge village, told ABP that he has 12 hectares of rice fields. He deplored the fact that he had only received half a bag of the 60 bags of urea fertiliser he needed.
He called on those concerned to make that input available in time to avoid losses.
The local agronomist in Mpanda is reassuring farmers. He urged them to use other types of fertilisers, such as organo-mineral fertilisers and liquid fertilisers like Green World.