Burkina Faso produces surplus of 989,000 tons of cereals

Burkina Faso has produced a surplus of 989,000 tons of cereals in the 2012-2013 season, according to the West African country's Ministry of Agriculture. Minister of Agriculture Mahama Zoungrana unveiled the surplus at a press conference held here on Tuesday. The harvest for the 2012-2013 season yielded more than 4.8 million tons of cereals, a 31 percent increase from the previous season, the minister said, describing the production as satisfactory. Cash crops like cotton, sesame and soya beans also recorded a 37 percent increase compared with the 2011-2012 season, Zoungrana added, attributing the good production partly to good rain during the farming season. It was also due to support from the government and its partners, which invested 12 billion FCFA (24 million U. S. dollars) in the training of farmers and supply of seeds and other materials. Despite the good performance, 19 districts in five regions of the country were declared as being at risk. In order to address the shortage of cereals in the affected zones, the National Company for Stocks and Reserves (SONAGESS) will start selling cereals at a subsidized price for vulnerable families. Besides that, cereal shops will be opened in Ouagadougou, Bobo- Dioulasso and other districts to help vulnerable households. Despite the surplus and cereal shops formed since the food crisis between 2008 and 2011, Burkina Faso needs to prepare for scenarios such as the massive arrival of Malian refugees, according to some analysts. They have warned that food insecurity might start in June in the 19 districts across the central west, central north and eastern regions of the country due to poor agricultural production in those areas