Ministry predicts severe food shortage

Insecurity, rampant malaria and late rains are the major causes of a looming food shortage in the country, according to the Burundian ministry of agriculture and livestock. The Burundi news agency ABP reported on Friday that the ministry's report for February indicated that the prospects for agricultural production were "disastrous". The ministry issued the report in conjunction with the Food and Agricultural Organisation and United Nation Children's Fund. "Some 270,000 tonnes will be produced compared to 373,000 tonnes needed. WFP [World Food Programme], the EU and other donors will avail 41,000 tonnes, leaving an estimated deficit of 52,000 tonnes," ABP quoted the report. This deficit would not be covered, hence the risk of famine. ABP quoted Agriculture and Livestock Minister Jeremie Nduhirubusa as saying that the situation was occasioned by several factors. "The first is linked with the October 2002 rains, which came late, and the farmers had started to plant at the beginning of November. It should have rained up to January 2003, but the rains stopped too soon, which led to a reduced harvest," he said. "The second factor concerns insecurity, which caused many farmers to desist from planting in some provinces such as Ruyigi [in the east] and Makamba [in the south]. The third factor is related to the heavy rainfall from November into December, which destroyed the crops," the minister said. The other factor is malaria, which Nduhirubusa said was rampant in (the central provinces of Muramvya and) Gitega, Kayanza (in the northwest) and other provinces. He said there was also a seed and fertiliser shortage.