KAYA — On Thursday, October 26, 2023, the NGO HELP and its partner, APIL, conducted a guided tour of a one-hectare white sorghum field belonging to Issa Sawadogo, a resident of Guilla, in the commune of Boussouma, Sanmatenga province.
According to a new release by Burkina Information Agency, the visit aimed to assess the impact of the “Soonré” project, led by APIL and financially supported by HELP, which assists 200 producers in the communes of Boussouma and Korsimoro.
The field owned by Issa Sawadogo showed promising results, with an expected yield of 1.6 hectares and additional stems for livestock feed. Sawadogo attributes these outcomes to the use of specific cultivation techniques and organic fertilizers. He mentioned that the project has significantly boosted his capabilities in agricultural production and has provided him with essential agricultural equipment and improved sorghum seeds.
According to Sawadogo, the consistent support from the NGOs has helped him and others to increase their agricultural yield and thus counteract food insecurity. “With these harvests, we can eat our fill and cover the daily expenses of our families,” he stated. He also expressed his intent to share these productive techniques with other local farmers and thanked the NGOs for their continued support.
Another beneficiary, Mariam Kouanda from Lioutenga, emphasized that the project’s proposed crop is particularly suited for adapting to climate change, as it has a short cycle and is resistant to specific plant diseases while requiring less water. Like Sawadogo, she testified to the success of the project in increasing agricultural productivity and meeting essential needs, including food, clothing, and healthcare for her family.
Inoussa Ouédraogo, the head of the “Soonré” project at APIL, noted that the project aims to achieve food self-sufficiency and reduce vulnerability among beneficiaries. He stated that the project, which is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, has supported 200 producers in this agricultural campaign, with 400 other producers having benefited in past campaigns.