From January 13 to 15, 2020, a joint visit was organized between the Research and Commercial Departments of FOMI, ISABU, the University of Burundi/FABI, the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock and journalists from several radio stations broadcasting in the national territory.
This field visit had three objectives, as explained by Ir. Herménégilde Manyange, Director of Research at FOMI. The first objective was to visit farmers’ fields to jointly assess the vegetative state of crops sown with organo-mineral fertilizers manufactured by FOMI during the 2020A growing season. The second was to visit trials determining economically viable and agronomically productive application rates for dissemination. The third was to visit FOMI fertilizer depots to confirm with the entire team that all areas of the country are already supplied with FOMI fertilizer at this time of year, as farmers prepare for the 2020B growing season. The provinces covered by this visit were Bujumbura Mairie, Mwaro, Rutana, Gitega, Karusi, Muyinga, Ngozi, and Kayanza.
The fields visited in all these provinces suggest a good harvest despite the heavy rains that have fallen across the entire country. It was also observed that all the areas visited had at least 10 tons of fertilizer.
Egide NIYUKURI, Commercial Director at FOMI, reassured journalists that not only were the areas along the designated route being supplied, but also that zonal stockpiles throughout the country now contain enough fertilizer for the upcoming 2020B season. He specified that this is the very first time that fertilizers have arrived in zonal stockpiles before January 15th of the year. Regarding the dosage determination trials, the trials set up at the six ISABU research stations were visited.
In Bujumbura at the ISABU headquarters (rice trial), in Gisozi (bean, maize, and potato trials), in Bukemba (bean, rice, maize, and cotton trials), in Ndebe (rice trial), in Karusi (maize trial), and in Kayanza (bean and potato trials).
The researchers present during the field visits (FOMI, ISABU, UB/FABI) indicated that they expect good results given the current stage of development of the trials.
Jean de Dieu NIYONKURU