CRS launches agricultural recovery campaign

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has launched its 2004 agricultural recovery campaign in Burundi, aimed at enabling 26,000 families to access US $120,000 worth of seeds, the agency told IRIN on Thursday. In total, the international NGO said it would conduct 27 seed fairs in three of Burundi's provinces, including seven in war-plagued Bubanza Province, in collaboration with a local CRS partner, the Diocesan Development Bureau of Bubanza. A total of 4,000 households in Bubanza would be served, and an estimated $20,000 would be injected into the local economy. Meanwhile, in Muyinga and Kirundo provinces, an additional 7,000 households and 15,000 beneficiaries would be reached, respectively, thereby infusing local economies with a total of at least $100,000, CRS said. Some 1,300 small traders - many of whom are women - would participate as seed sellers. CRS said the seed voucher and fair approach provided vulnerable farming families access to seed through a voucher, which is redeemed like cash against seed that local seed sellers supply. CRS said it served as the market regulator in ensuring that supply met demand, making sure the most vulnerable had market access, and insuring that local quality standards were met.