Drought drives up vegetable prices in Burundi
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Iwacu
In Kinama, Burundi, the long dry season has reduced harvests and driven up vegetable prices: five amaranth stems now cost 1,000 Burundian francs, prompting some families to buy less. The Abaniki market gardeners’ association, whose water sources have dried up, is calling on the Agriculture Ministry to strengthen its technical support, reports Iwacu.
In Kinama, Burundi, five amaranth stems currently sell for 1,000 BIF, according to testimony gathered by Iwacu from consumers and market gardeners. Nadine Kaneza, met outside Kinama market, says she has stopped buying them for her family because of the price increase.
Georgette Mahwera, a representative of the Abakenyezi b’amahoro n’iterambere mu Kinama association, explains that the long dry season has reduced harvests and the incomes of women who grow vegetables. Several water sources have declined or dried up, while the association does not have motor pumps to fetch water from farther away, reports Iwacu.
In Kizingwe-Bihara, the Kizingwe River was already dry in August, according to market gardener Colonne Nyabenda. She says a field that could previously bring in 100,000 BIF currently sells for around 30,000 BIF, while the price of seeds has reached 40,000 BIF. Georgette Mahwera is calling on the ministry responsible for agriculture to strengthen technical support for women market gardeners’ associations, particularly on the selection and preservation of seeds.
