Burundi is a landlocked country located in eastern Africa, and agriculture has always been an important pillar of the country's economy.
Early years of independence (1890-1962)
Agriculture in Burundi is largely controlled by outsiders, who divide Burundi's land into large-scale plantations and pastures for coffee, tea and cotton, as well as cattle grazing. This pattern has led to very uneven agricultural development in Burundi and extremely difficult living conditions for farmers.
Burundi gained independence in 1962 and began to work on the independent development of agriculture and animal husbandry. The Government has implemented a land reform policy in an attempt to address the problem of unequal ownership and distribution of land. They encourage farmers to organize and cooperate in the management of farmland and pastures to increase productivity and economic efficiency.
Burundi's agricultural infrastructure is relatively weak. Limited development of roads, irrigation systems and other agricultural facilities creates difficulties for agricultural production and market access.
Most Burundian farmers still use traditional agricultural practices, including artisanal farming, limited use of inorganic fertilizers and dependence on seasonal rainfall. Agricultural production methods are relatively inefficient and yields are unstable, and some farmers have begun to organize and set up agricultural cooperatives to increase farmers' collective strength, improve economic efficiency, and improve livelihood conditions.
Agricultural development in Burundi between 1890 and 1962 was limited by domination, land problems and agricultural infrastructure. However, this period laid some foundations for subsequent agricultural development in Burundi and provided opportunities for farmers' organizations and land reform.
Self-sufficiency and agricultural modernization (1962-1990)
In the early years of independence, agriculture in Burundi relied mainly on traditional farming methods and agricultural practices. The government began to modernize agriculture, introducing new agricultural techniques and cultivation methods to increase the production of crops and livestock.
Burundi's agricultural development focuses on achieving self-sufficiency. The government encourages farmers to increase food production and reduce their dependence on imported food. They provided technical training, fertilizers and agricultural machinery to help farmers increase their productivity, and encouraged farmers to diversify their agricultural cultivation to reduce their dependence on imported food.
Burundi committed itself to the autonomous development of agriculture in the early years of independence. The government encourages farmers to organize and set up agricultural cooperatives and cooperative economic units to strengthen cooperation and resource sharing among farmers and improve agricultural productivity.
In order to address the problem of unequal land ownership and distribution, the Government of Burundi has implemented a land reform policy. They seek to improve the living conditions of farmers and motivate them to increase production by redistributing land, ensuring farmers' rights and providing land tenure.
The Government of Burundi has begun to introduce new agricultural techniques and cultivation methods to increase crop and livestock production. They promote modern agricultural practices such as irrigation, fertilizer use, pesticide control, and mechanization to improve agricultural productivity.
Burundi's agriculture is gradually becoming market-oriented and export-oriented. The government supports farmers in opening up new markets by improving infrastructure, promoting agro-processing and providing market information. Burundi's main agricultural exports include coffee, tea, cotton and flowers, which generate significant foreign exchange earnings for the country's economy.
The Government of Burundi is committed to improving rural infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, irrigation systems, etc., to facilitate agricultural production and the transportation of agricultural products. They also provide agricultural technical training, financial support and the construction of agricultural cooperatives to help farmers improve their livelihoods and living standards.
Burundi has made certain achievements in agricultural development, with improved agricultural production capacity, increased farmers' incomes and increased exports of agricultural products, making a positive contribution to the national economy.
Market-oriented and export-oriented (1990-2000)
In the 1990s, the Government of Burundi began to encourage farmers to switch to market-oriented and export-oriented agricultural production. They support farmers in opening up new markets by improving infrastructure, facilitating agro-processing and providing market information.
The main exports of Burundi's agricultural products include coffee, tea, cotton and flowers. The government, in cooperation with international organizations and foreign investors, provides loans and technical assistance to help farmers improve planting techniques, strengthen quality control and open up new export markets. This period of agricultural development led to a significant increase in Burundi's agricultural exports, generating significant foreign exchange earnings for the national economy.
The Government of Burundi embarked on agricultural reform to introduce market-oriented agricultural production. They seek to enhance farmers' market competitiveness and profitability by improving the agricultural market system, providing market information and promoting the processing of agricultural products.
The Government of Burundi has promoted the process of reform and privatization of agricultural cooperatives. They encouraged farmers to actively participate in the management and operation of cooperatives to improve the quality of agricultural products and market competitiveness, and some cooperatives were privatized, increasing farmers' economic incentives and autonomous decision-making power.
The Government of Burundi actively attracts external investment and works with international partners to promote agricultural development. They cooperate with international organizations and foreign investors to introduce capital, technology and management experience, support agricultural modernization and increase the added value of agricultural products, and increase investment in agricultural research and technological innovation. The government supports agricultural research institutions and universities to conduct agricultural research and promote farmers' adoption of new agricultural technologies and planting methods to improve production efficiency.
At this time, Burundi was also affected by the disaster, which caused serious damage to agriculture. Natural disasters such as droughts, floods and pests and diseases, as well as civil conflicts and refugee crises, have taken a toll on farmland, farmers and agricultural infrastructure.
The efforts of the Government and the international community continue to promote agricultural development. In the coming period, Burundi will continue to strengthen agricultural investment, scientific and technological innovation and market-oriented reforms in order to achieve sustainable agricultural development, improve the living standards of farmers and promote the growth of the country's economy.
Sustainable development and rural poverty alleviation (2000-present)
Since 2000, the focus of agricultural development in Burundi has gradually shifted towards sustainable development and rural poverty alleviation. The government has taken steps to improve rural infrastructure and provide agricultural technical training and financial support to help farmers improve their livelihoods and increase their incomes.
Burundi has also increased its investment in agricultural research in order to modernize agricultural production and increase the added value of agricultural products. The government supports agricultural research in agricultural research institutions and universities to promote the adoption of new agricultural technologies and farming practices by farmers to adapt to climate change and improve production efficiency.
The Government of Burundi has also implemented a rural poverty alleviation programme to help poor farmers improve their livelihoods and increase their incomes through the provision of land, fertilizer, seeds and technical assistance, promote farmers' organization into cooperatives and agricultural cooperatives, and strengthen cooperation and exchanges among farmers.
The Burundian government actively promotes the digitalization of agriculture. Improve agricultural production efficiency, agricultural product quality and market access by introducing modern agricultural technologies and digital farming solutions such as agricultural drones, remote sensors, agricultural IoT, and agricultural data analysis.
The Government of Burundi attaches importance to water resources management and the development of irrigation systems. They work to improve irrigation infrastructure, including reservoirs, canals and irrigation facilities, to provide sustainable irrigation water supply, increase irrigation cover of farmland, and increase crop yields and multi-season planting capacity.
In order to promote agricultural development, the Government of Burundi promotes the development of agricultural finance and agricultural insurance. By setting up agricultural credit institutions and agricultural insurance institutions, they provide farmers with loans, insurance and other financial services to reduce agricultural production risks and increase farmers' inputs and returns.
The Government of Burundi encourages the development of agricultural value chains and the value-added of agro-processing. They support farmers to organize into agricultural cooperatives and agro-processing enterprises, provide technical training and market access support, promote the whole process of agricultural products from raw materials to processing, packaging and marketing, and increase the added value and market competitiveness of agricultural products.
In the face of climate change and environmental pressures, the Government of Burundi promotes sustainable agricultural practices. They encourage farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural methods such as conservation tillage, organic farming, water-efficient irrigation and ecosystem management to reduce land degradation, water waste and environmental pollution, and improve agricultural resilience and ecological sustainability.
The Government of Burundi also continued to improve rural infrastructure, including roads, electricity, communications and market facilities, to facilitate the flow of agricultural products and improve farmers' livelihoods. At the same time, they promote agricultural technical training, farmers' organization and social security measures to improve farmers' skills, organizational capacity and social welfare.
Burundi had made some progress in the development of modern agriculture, but problems such as limited financial resources, insufficient technical capacity, agricultural policy implementation and obstacles to market access continued to plague economic development. In order to promote the further development of modern agriculture in Burundi, the Government and the international community need to work together to enhance the well-being of farmers and promote the prosperity of the country's economy.
The development of agriculture and animal husbandry in Burundi has gone from a difficult period in the early years of independence, to a stage of self-sufficiency and agricultural modernization, to a stage of market-oriented and export-oriented development, and finally to a stage of sustainable development and rural poverty alleviation. The government's agricultural policy has played an important role in promoting farmers to increase production, improve living standards and promote the country's economic development.
The status of modern agriculture in Burundi
Burundi's agricultural development continues to play an important role today, and agriculture is the main pillar of the Burundian economy, providing important contributions to gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. The agricultural sector plays an important role in national income and foreign exchange earnings, particularly through the export of agricultural products such as coffee, tea, cotton and flowers.
Agriculture is the main source of food for the Burundian population, especially in rural areas. The efforts of farmers and the promotion of agricultural development play an important role in meeting domestic food demand and improving food safety. The majority of Burundi's population lived in rural areas, and the development of agriculture was important to the goals of economic growth, social development and poverty reduction in rural areas.
In the current global environment, Burundi's agricultural development is also paying more and more attention to sustainable development and environmental protection. Governments and international partners are committed to promoting sustainability in agricultural practices, including the promotion of organic farming, water management, soil conservation and climate adaptation measures to ensure the sustainability of agriculture and the protection of the ecological environment.
In order to further promote the development of Burundi's agriculture, the Government needs to continue to increase investment, technical support and policy reforms to modernize agriculture, increase farmers' incomes and improve the market competitiveness of agricultural products.
Bibliography:
1. Burundi Country Profile
2. Country Strategy Statement: Burundi
3. Burundi - Agricultural Sector Note: Building a Resilient Agricultural Sector
4. Burundi Human Development Report 2018: Agriculture for Sustainable Development