Livestock and Farm Fishing

Burundi’s economy is mainly rural, and is thus essentially based on agriculture (coffee, tea, cotton) and livestock. More than 90% of the population depends it it also represents more than 50% of GDP.

The Agricultural National Strategy comes at the right time to answer the multiple functions that the agricultural sector is called to assume.
In July 2008, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Republic of Burundi validated the agricultural sectorial politics under the title “Agricultural National Strategy”.

There are four strategic axes to the strategy: (i) lasting growth of productivity and the agricultural production (ii) promotion of the paths and the agribusiness (iii) support to the professionalization of the producers and development of the private initiatives and, (iv) backing of the capacities of management and development of the agricultural sector.

The agricultural sector in Burundi benefits from several assets:

• Vast plains of the very fertile Imbo that is suitable to the modern agriculture
• Rainfall for 9 months every year
• Possibility of irrigation (artificial lakes)
• Possibility to harvest twice a year for an output of more than 10 tons per ha (rice and cereals)

The main export crop is coffee; its industry is in the process of being privatized and FDI potential is considerable. These factors could have a significant impact and improve the quality and increase the productivity of the coffee sector.