On October 16, 2024, a delegation composed of representatives of Solidar Suisse, the Beoneere Agroécologie Association and regional and provincial authorities in charge of agriculture visited the municipalities of Méguet and Salogo to visit several agricultural sites. This visit is part of the “Rilgré” project, an ambitious initiative funded by the Belgian Development Agency, Enabel, and implemented by Solidar Suisse in partnership with the Beoneere Agroécologie Association. This project aims to promote agroecological practices and enhance local agricultural production, a major issue for the resilience of communities in the face of climate challenges.
The first stop of the mission was in the village of Boalghin, located in the commune of Salogo, where Ms. Hado Kaboré, a sorghum and sesame producer, put into practice the knowledge acquired through the Rilgré project trainings. Having learned how to make organic compost, including bokashi, a mixture of termite mound soil, animal droppings, ash and other natu
ral ingredients, she applied it to her crops after setting up stone barriers to combat soil erosion. In addition to bokashi, she also made and applied organic liquid fertilizer to her sesame field.
The results are striking: the stalks and ears of her crops are significantly more developed than those of neighboring fields, where these techniques were not used. Proud of her success, Ms. Kaboré shared her new skills with other members of her community, who say they are ready to adopt these practices in the coming seasons.
The second stop on the visit took place in the village of Foulgo, also in the commune of Salogo, where a field school was set up to experiment with different agroecological techniques. Gueswendé Compaoré, a local producer, tested the use of bokashi on four separate plots: as basal fertilization, on ridges, in half-moons and in the Zaï technique (a traditional method of water conservation). Beyond the experiment, he also applied his learning on a 3-hectare corn field.
The results are equally
impressive, with robust corn cobs and well-maintained plots. More than 30 farmers have followed these experiments, and many have expressed a willingness to integrate these practices into their own farms in the years to come.
The last site visited was a collective rice field located in the village of Fatematenga, in the commune of Méguet. Operated by about forty producers, including 17 women, this rice field covers an area of ??5 hectares. Although agroecological techniques have been applied and the work of the producers is remarkable, the harvest risks being compromised due to the low availability of water, a crucial factor for rice growing.
El Hadj Saïdou Kanazoé, a producer representative, expressed his gratitude to the project partners for their support, while recalling the pressing need for sustainable solutions to improve access to water. Irrigation remains a major obstacle to rice production in the locality, but despite these challenges, farmers continue to work with determination.
Solidar Suisse rep
resentative Julien Lompo recalled that the Rilgré project, launched in July 2023, is part of a logic of restoring degraded land, preventing its future degradation and developing inclusive value chains for local producers. The project’s activities include the promotion of biofertilizers such as bokashi and the establishment of soil and water conservation infrastructure. He expressed his hope that these initiatives will continue beyond the three years initially planned for the project, hoping that they will become a long-term model for the region.
The Regional Director of Agriculture of the Central Plateau, Loumbana Béatrice Tinguéri, also welcomed the encouraging results observed on the ground. She stressed the importance of training in agroecology, which allows producers to adopt sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, while increasing their productivity. She encouraged farmers to popularize these new techniques within their communities to maximize their impact.
Although low rainfall has been a
major obstacle this year, the results obtained so far with the Rilgré project are promising. The sorghum, sesame and corn fields that have benefited from these techniques show productions that are far superior to conventional practices, a sign that agroecology is a sustainable response to climate and food security issues in the region.
Rilgré Project Manager Philippe Yanogo concluded by saying that challenges remain, but that the commitment of producers and the progress made demonstrate that these techniques can be game changers. He called on local producers to continue to disseminate these practices, in order to strengthen the resilience of agricultural systems and ensure a more prosperous future for their communities.
Source: Burkina Information Agency