Ganzourgou: A visit to farms to see the new techniques implemented

Burkina-Ganzourgou-Visit-Agricultural-Exploitations

Ganzourgou: A visit to farms to see the new techniques implemented

Zorgho, (AIB) – On October 16, 2024, a delegation composed of representatives of Solidar Suisse, the Beoneere Agroecology Association and regional and provincial authorities in charge of agriculture visited the municipalities of Méguet and Salogo to visit several agricultural sites. This visit is part of the “Rilgré” project, an ambitious initiative financed by the Belgian Development Agency, Enabel, and implemented by Solidar Suisse in partnership with the Beoneere Agroecology Association. This project aims to promote agroecological practices and promote local agricultural production, a major issue for the resilience of communities in the face of climatic challenges.

The first stop of the mission took place in the village of Boalghin, located in the commune of Salogo, where Ms. Hado Kaboré, sorghum and sesame producer, put into practice the knowledge acquired through the Rilgré project training. Having learned to make organic compost, notably bokashi, a mixture of termite mound soil, animal droppings, ash and other natural ingredients, she applied it to her crops after setting up stone lines to combat against soil erosion. In addition to bokashi, she also made and applied organic liquid fertilizer to her sesame field.

The results are striking: the stems and ears of his crops are clearly more developed than those of neighboring fields, where these techniques were not used. Proud of her success, Ms. Kaboré shared her new skills with other members of her community, who say they are ready to adopt these practices in the seasons to come.
The second stage of the visit took place in the village of Foulgo, also in the commune of Salogo, where a field school was set up to experiment with different agroecological techniques. Gueswendé Compaoré, a local producer, tested the use of bokashi on four distinct plots: in bottom manure, on ridges, in half-moons and in the Zaï technique (a traditional method of water conservation). Beyond experimentation, he also applied his learnings on a 3-hectare corn field.

The results are just as impressive, with robust corn ears and well-maintained plots. More than 30 farmers followed these experiments, and many have expressed their desire to integrate these practices into their own farms in the years to come.

The last site visited was a collective rice field located in the village of Fatematenga, in the commune of Méguet. Operated by around forty producers, including 17 women, this rice field covers an area of 5 hectares. Although agroecological techniques have been applied and the work of producers is remarkable, the harvest risks being compromised due to low water availability, a crucial factor for rice cultivation.

El Hadj Saïdou Kanazoé, producer representative, expressed his gratitude to the project partners for their support, while recalling the pressing need for sustainable solutions to improve access to water. Irrigation remains a major obstacle to rice production in the locality, but despite these challenges, farmers continue to work with determination.

The representative of Solidar Suisse, Julien Lompo, recalled that the Rilgré project, launched in July 2023, is part of a logic of restoring degraded lands, preventing their future degradation and developing inclusive value chains for producers. . local. Project activities include promoting biofertilizers such as bokashi and establishing soil and water conservation infrastructure. He expressed his wish that these initiatives continue beyond the three years initially planned for the project, hoping that they become a long-term model for the region.

The Regional Director of Agriculture of the Central Plateau, Loumbana Béatrice Tinguéri, also welcomed the encouraging results observed on the ground. She highlighted the importance of training in agroecology, which allows producers to adopt sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, while improving their productivity. She encouraged farmers to popularize these new techniques within their communities to maximize their impact.

Although low rainfall has been a major obstacle this year, the results obtained so far with the Rilgré project are promising. The sorghum, sesame and corn fields that have adopted these techniques show production far superior to conventional practices, a sign that agroecology is a sustainable response to climate and food security issues in the region.

Rilgré project manager, Philippe Yanogo, concluded by affirming that the challenges remain numerous, but that the commitment of producers and the progress made demonstrate that these techniques can be a game-changer. He called on local producers to continue to spread these practices, in order to strengthen the resilience of agricultural systems and guarantee a more prosperous future for their communities.

Burkina Faso Information Agency
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