Recent corn and bean harvests have fallen below 100 kg per hectare. A situation worsened by unfavorable weather conditions and a severe lack of fertilizer. A setback for the DUKOMEZANYE cooperative in Makamba, southern Burundi, a member of the AEVCPV association.
The Dukomezanye cooperative in Makamba has only 24 members. For growing season A, they cultivated 1 hectare—half a hectare for corn and half a hectare for beans. Luck did not smile on this young cooperative led by Mariam Ndayikengurukiye. Not only were weather conditions unfavorable, but the severe lack of fertilizers also contributed to ruining the harvest. The cooperative harvested less than 100 kg of corn and beans combined. However, the AEVCPV association, of which the DUKOMEZANYE cooperative in Makamba is a member, remains committed to its primary mission: Empowering vulnerable communities in Burundi through sustainable agricultural and livestock practices, by strengthening food security, improving livelihoods, and fostering socioeconomic resilience.
Alice Ndayikengurukiye, representative of the AEVCPV association in Canada, Europe, America, and Australia, indicates that the association will spare no effort to support and revive this cooperative: “For the next growing season, we will provide the necessary resources to enable them to cultivate 2 hectares and attract more members,” said Alice Ndayikengurukiye.