GITEGA, October 18th (ABP) –The President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, launched on Thursday 17 October 2024, the ‘Agatasi’ A crop season.
The ceremonies took place on the Mashitsi hill in the Giheta commune in Gitega province (the political capital and center of Burundi), a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
The event was attended by the Minister for the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Prosper Dodiko, provincial governors, administrators of the communes in Gitega province, directors of provincial environment, agriculture and livestock offices and so forth.
On that occasion, the President of the Republic prayed to God to bless the seeds that will be sown throughout the country. After the prayer, the Head of State took part in the sowing of maize on 68.5 hectares of land belonging to 30 cooperatives on the Mashitsi hill close to the IRAZ. Maize was also sown and potatoes planted, in the presence of the President of the Republic, as well as maize, in two plots belonging to the VASO cooperative, one on the Mashitsi hill and the other on the Mutobo hill in the same commune.
Taking the floor, President Ndayishimiye thanked the Lord for the fertile soil that Burundi possesses, as well as the rain that falls favorably throughout the country.
He thanked the civil servants and shopkeepers who, for the moment, are contributing to the agricultural sector by growing food products, so that every mouth has food and every pocket money. He called on those who have the means but not the time to farm to form partnerships with those who have land but not the means, in order to share the dividends.
To achieve that, the President of the Republic called on the workers of the ministry in charge of agriculture, from the top to the bottom, to be good leaders of the population, during that period of sowing, by guiding them to sow in a modern way.
Finally, he called on ISABU to do everything possible to ensure that there is no shortage of maize seed in particular. He said that local seeds should be promoted, as seeds from abroad may be in short supply or not give a good yield, depending on the type of seed.
The President of the Republic hoped that all Burundians working in agriculture would be rich within five years. To that end, he urged the population not to listen to those who say that Burundi is the poorest country in the world, a country where famine is killing people, when that is not true, the Head of State insisted.