KIRUNDO, May 3 (ABP) – Rice farmers in the communes of Kirundo and Busoni, in Butanyerera province (north), have intensified rice cultivation thanks to strengthened capacities in modern agricultural practices and awareness of pooling cultivable land.
According to the agriculture officer at the provincial directorate of environment, agriculture and livestock in Butanyerera province, Léonidas Rivuzimana, 12,000 hectares are under rice cultivation, adding that farmers expect a good harvest, as the crops are in good condition.
Rice farmers also indicate that rice has become an increasingly consumed staple food among Burundians. It is with this in mind that they have intensified this crop in order to increase production, they emphasized.
However, despite their efforts to produce more, the price of one kilogram of rice remains high, ranging between 6,000 and 7,000 Burundian francs. Many residents of these communes ask the government to regulate rice prices, as was done for maize.