Passor©: Prime Minister Jean Emmanuel Ou©draogo inaugurated the Dourou irrigated area in Passor© province, a significant development aimed at enhancing the country’s food sovereignty. This 865-hectare initiative, funded with a budget of 17.5 billion CFA francs, marks a crucial step in Burkina Faso’s agro-pastoral and fisheries offensive.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Dourou perimeter is supported by the Kirsi dam and includes infrastructure such as 16 onion storage warehouses and six input and grain warehouses, designed to optimize agricultural output. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the ceremony, emphasizing the project’s role in advancing food self-sufficiency.
Prime Minister Ou©draogo highlighted the President of Faso’s commitment to achieving food self-sufficiency, noting that the current project is part of a broader strategy to eliminate hunger. He acknowledged the efforts of stakeholders who ensured the project’s timely completion and stressed the importance of maintaining the infrastructure.
The Prime Minister called on the community to engage fully in year-round production, leveraging both wet and dry seasons to build resilience against hunger. The initiative is expected to benefit not only the local area but also the broader region and Burkina Faso.
The Agricultural Resilience and Competitiveness Project (PReCA) coordinator noted that the new irrigated area could increase regional rice production by 40%. Additionally, projections indicate the potential for over 17,000 tonnes of market garden crops during the dry season.
Local producer Panantiguiri Madi expressed appreciation for the government’s efforts, anticipating increased production through the ability to cultivate biannually. The Dourou project, launched in December 2023, follows the successful implementation of similar projects in Banzon and Sindou.