Overview

Rice has been identified by the Government of Burundi as a key strategic crop due to its growing local consumption and market share. More and more rural households are cultivating and consuming rice. This is because unlike tuber crops, rice can be easily preserved and unlike other cereals, rice can adapt well in flooded conditions. Population growth and urbanization were also identified as some of the underlying causes of shifting diet preferences.

Rice cultivation started in Burundi’s low-lying areas, particularly around the Imbo plains. The crop is mostly grown under irrigated conditions in major areas such as the Imbo plain, Moso region, and other high-altitude marshes. Rice is cultivated in two seasons: the first season is from December to May, while the second season starts in June and ends in November. FAOSTAT states that from 2019 to 2023, Burundi produced an average of 369,000 tons of rice using about 192,000 ha of land.

Around 80% of the country’s population works in the field of agriculture that accounts for about half of the country’s 2019 GDP. From 2014 to 2020, the share of women employees in agriculture has grown from 32% to 49% with female land ownership recorded at 65.43% in 2016. Burundi is vulnerable to the impact of climate change such as drought and flooding which significantly threaten rice production, and by extension, the country’s economy.

IRRI’s country strategy focuses on supporting and complementing the Government of Burundi’s national strategy to meet the growing domestic demand for rice and reduce imports. Through its technical and research expertise, IRRI is collaborating with NARES and national partners in Burundi by releasing new resilient rice varieties, organizing and structuring farmer groups, introducing and disseminating post-harvest technologies, and training researchers, technicians, and smallholder farmers on sustainable rice research and farming.