Ouagadougou: The Youth Council for the Development of the Sahel/Burkina Faso (CJ-DS) extended its 'agricultural offensive' project to Gourcy in the Yaadga region to support Zondoma in the agro-pastoral and fisheries offensive with a view to achieving food self-sufficiency.

According to Burkina Information Agency, after launching in the Kadiogo and Bankuy regions, CJ-DS has now initiated activities in Gourcy as part of its "agricultural offensive" project. The initiative in the Yaadga region includes the development of a historically significant field once farmed by President Thomas Sankara. Five out of the 50 available hectares will be dedicated to cultivating crops such as corn, millet, sorghum, and peanuts.

Mohamed Sodr©, National Coordinator of the CJ-DS agricultural offensive project, stated, "The objective of this project is to contribute to food self-sufficiency. As youth are the spearhead of any nation, it is our duty as young people to support the efforts of our authorities in order to show that young people are aware of the current challenges facing the country." He also mentioned that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will participate in maintaining the field.

Isma«l Sawadogo, the president of CJ-DS, noted that the harvests will be allocated to the town hall for distribution to IDPs and other vulnerable groups.

The local population expressed appreciation for the initiative, seeing it as an opportunity to revive the common field, which had been abandoned after President Sankara's death. They committed to actively contributing to the project's success.

In conjunction with this agricultural expansion, CJ-DS established its regional office in the area.

Under the leadership of President Ibrahim Traor©, the Burkinabe government has embarked on the 2023-2025 Agro-Pastoral Offensive, targeting food self-sufficiency. This initiative reflects the government's commitment to enhancing food security and fostering economic growth in Burkina Faso.