Ouagadougou: The Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture, Water, Animal and Fisheries Resources, Commander Isma«l Sombi, met on Wednesday with key stakeholders in the rural community of the Kourittenga province, as part of his tour to monitor the 2026-2027 agropastoral campaign, under the banner of resilient pastoralism and rural sector development.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this meeting with the driving forces of the rural world in Kourittenga brought together actors from various agricultural, pastoral, fisheries, and processing sectors. The gathering allowed producers, breeders, processors, seed producers, and other rural actors to express their concerns and present their grievances to Minister Sombi.
Minister Sombi acknowledged the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traor, for his contributions toward rural sector development. He emphasized efforts made under Captain Traor's leadership to support rural areas, highlighting that the rural sector now receives special attention in public policies.
The meeting also focused on the implementation of the 2023-2025 Agropastoral and Fisheries Offensive and the Presidential Initiative for Agricultural Production and Food Self-Sufficiency. The official assessment of this initiative noted an increase in cereal production and improved coverage of cereal needs. Commander Sombi stressed the ambition to transform the rural sector into a significant engine of development and sovereignty.
Representatives from different sectors presented their challenges and proposals to enhance working conditions. Augustine Oubda from the processing sector discussed issues related to work equipment, product standardization with the Burkinabe Agency for Standardization, Metrology and Quality (ABNORM), and market access. She urged the authorities to provide substantial support to strengthen production equipment and facilitate product distribution.
Karim Zougmor, representing seed producers, expressed satisfaction with the minister's responsiveness to their concerns. He emphasized the importance of strengthening seed production for improved agricultural yields and food self-sufficiency.
In response to these grievances, Minister Sombi reassured stakeholders of the government's commitment to improving conditions in the rural sector. He called for collaboration to address difficulties in various value chains and invited stakeholders to remain engaged in the government's efforts to enhance national production, processing, and marketing of local products.
The new 2026-2028 agropastoral, hydraulic, and fisheries offensive aims to build on the first phase's achievements and bolster investments in these sectors. Discussions in Koupla fostered closer cooperation between the Department of Agriculture and field workers. Participants expressed a commitment to national production while seeking fulfillment of promises to improve their working conditions.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment to rural area development and the consolidation of food self-sufficiency in Burkina Faso.