Burkina Faso is one of the Sahelian countries facing soil degradation and climate change, which are reducing agricultural production. Spread over a period of 03 to 04 months, the rainy season in this country is often marked by pockets of drought that limit agricultural production and accentuate the food insecurity of vulnerable populations, including the elderly, the disabled and internally displaced persons. To strengthen the resilience of these food-insecure people, Solidar Suisse, in collaboration with its local partners the Association Manegdbzanga (AM) in the province of Oubritenga, the Association Tind Yalgré (ATY) in the Province of Kourwéogo and the Association Beog Neeré udu Ganzourgou (ABNG), promotes agroecology through the combination of several techniques of Water and Soil Conservation / Soil Defense and Restoration (CES/DRS) in agricultural production. The techniques implemented are stone cordons, Zaï, half-moons, and the manufacture and use of organic fertilizers such as Bokashi. In addition to adopting CES/DRS techniques, Solidar Suisse fights food insecurity by promoting community self-help initiatives such as the solidarity granary, community social safety nets and the intercommunity financing initiative (IFIC).
With a view to gaining an insight into the implementation of activities and capitalizing on their effects, we went to meet the beneficiaries of the “Renforcement des Moyens d’existence (Renforce)” project, which will intensify the achievements of the PROREMO PV project, due to end in December 2024.
Read some testimonials here
“I’m Bangba Joseph TAPSOBA, a retired agricultural officer and trainer in agricultural production techniques. In the Ganzourgou province, soil degradation is accentuated, which limits agricultural production. As part of the “Renforce” project, I train producers in compost production and the application of CES/DRS techniques for reclaiming degraded land, such as stone cordons, zaï, half-moons and grass strips. Training currently underway in the village of Kanré (Ganzourgou province) focuses on erosion control through the construction of stone cordons to curb soil erosion and facilitate soil enrichment to boost productivity. Once the stone barriers have been built on this 10-hectare area, Bokashi compost will be spread to enrich the soil, which could boost agricultural production by around 40 tonnes at the end of the current crop year. The farmers being trained will be able to carry out regular maintenance of the stone barriers to prevent their deterioration, thus extending the benefits of the training. This training program, initiated by Solidar Suisse and its partner the Association Beog Neeré du Ganzourgou, meets the current needs of farmers who are regularly confronted with soil degradation that limits their agricultural production. I invite the producers benefiting from this training to share the knowledge acquired with other producers in order to disseminate good agricultural practices to ensure the food security of families.”
“I’m PEZONGO Michel, a farmer in the village of Sakouli (Kourwéogo Province). In our locality, climate change and the abusive use of chemical products have impoverished the soil. In recent years, I’ve noticed a drop in my agricultural production. On an area of 01 hectare, I harvest barely 500 kg of sorghum. With the support of ATY, I have been trained in CES/DRS techniques such as: stone cordons, zaï, half-moon, bokashi production). Through the adoption of these techniques, I hope to improve my production for the current agricultural season.”
Bokashi organic fertilizer manufacturing session by Sakouli village producers
“I’m OUEDRAOGO Bibata, a member of the Songrelabangre cooperative in Sakouli (Kourwéogo province). Our cooperative has been in existence for over 10 years. We have a plot of land on which we produce sorghum and cowpeas. In recent years, soil degradation and the scarcity of rain have limited our agricultural production. Our production no longer exceeds 400kg per hectare. With the support of ATY, we have benefited from training in CES/DRS techniques and compost making, which will enable us to improve our agricultural production.
Women from the Songrelabangre cooperative in Sakouli make organic fertilizer.
On the eve of the agricultural season, Sakouli village growers are hard at work laying out their fields in zaï with an application of bokashi fertilizer.
“I’m BONKOUNGOU Noélie/Juliette, an onion farmer in the village of Zongo (Oubritenga province). I’ve been market gardening for about thirty years. In the beginning, market gardening was hard work and production was insufficient. I didn’t know the right techniques, and it was difficult to maintain my production. Today, with the support of AM, I’ve been strengthened in good onion production techniques and I’ve learned to produce compost which I use in my production. Compost improves my production and the onion keeps longer. The availability of the storage warehouse allows me to improve my income from onion production. When I store the onion, I can sell the 50kg bag for 30,000 FCFA during August, yet at harvest time, during April, the 50kg bag costs 7500 FCFA.”
The project is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and LED.
