To promote a private sector-led seed industry in Burundi, the Private Seed Sector Development (PSSD) project, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Burundi and implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), has entered a transformative partnership with the Seed Trade Company (SETRACO) to connect local producers to modern, sustainable value chains.
This partnership, bolstered by SETRACO’s collaboration with independent outgrowers, has led to increased hybrid maize seed production and empowered smallholder farmers to raise their yields and incomes through access to high-quality seed and training in good agricultural practices, thereby enhancing food security.
We are proud to see the progress in hybrid maize production in our area and that members of the community are now actively involved in field activities, gaining valuable skills in modern agricultural techniques.
SETRACO and IFDC, both major contributors to agricultural development, have played a vital role in the initiative by organizing workshops and training sessions for outgrowers. These efforts have equipped producers with up-to-date knowledge on sustainable farming practices and the effective use of quality seeds to boost yields.
Jean-Pierre Bigirimana, a stand-out large-scale seed entrepreneur and outgrower from Karuzi Province, has dedicated more than 20 of his 80 hectares of land to seed multiplication, producing quality hybrid maize seed with the support of SETRACO and PSSD.
In addition to his contribution to building a thriving local seed industry, Bigirimana’s venture has economically impacted the community: “When the season starts, I employ over 280 people who receive wages three times a week to meet their family needs,” he remarked.
One of Bigirimana’s employees, Evariste Irambona, added, “I’ve been working on his farm for three years now, and I earn enough to sustain my family. I bought a cow with my salary.”
Irambona also applies the techniques he observes at Bigirimana’s farm on his own small plot of land, where he harvests 100 kilograms of maize a season, sometimes more.
Another PSSD beneficiary is Abbé Reverien Nshimirimana, a priest at Gatonde Parish in Karuzi Province. For the past three years, he has been multiplying the V3 hybrid maize seed variety provided by SETRACO – for which neighboring communes recognize the parish as a quality supplier – and he now cultivates over 7 hectares of maize.
Nshimirimana recalled, “When the Ministry of Agriculture urged landowners to make use of uncultivated land, I felt called to act as a parish priest.” Since then, he has worked closely with parishioners and has successfully produced maize seed that is now approved and certified by the National Office of Seed Control and Certification (ONCCS).
“We are proud to see the progress in hybrid maize production in our area and that members of the community are now actively involved in field activities, gaining valuable skills in modern agricultural techniques,” Nshimirimana said.
The collaboration between SETRACO, IFDC, and the outgrowers they support through the PSSD project forms part of a broader approach to sustainable development and local capacity building. By combining technical knowledge, financial support, and training, the project and its participants have improved productivity among farmers and contributed to making the agro-industrial sector in the region more competitive and resilient. This partnership serves as a model for other players in the sector to emulate.
The Private Seed Sector Development (PSSD) project (2018-2026), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), aims to increase the production and incomes of 178,000 farmer households in Burundi. The project works with private and public sector partners to promote the development of a private sector-led seed industry that is able to provide farmers with sustainable access to high-quality seed and agricultural advisory services.
