Mouhoun: The agricultural activities of the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) in the commune of Douroula, part of the Presidential Initiative for agricultural production and food self-sufficiency, face delays due to a land dispute over the designated site for the operation.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the National Bureau of Major Projects in Burkina Faso has been training young people in agricultural and livestock production techniques as part of its Major Projects. This aims to bolster food security and enhance national production. In Douroula, the Opportunity and Integration Referent (ROPI) had secured agreements with landowners for a 15-hectare site for the agricultural VDPs.

However, Ousmane Traor©, the focal point of the agricultural VDP, and Assita Souar©, the delegate of the beneficiaries, reported that the 15 hectares allocated to them last campaign are now disputed between landowners and operators. At the start of the current agricultural season, the beneficiaries discovered the land was already plowed by non-VDP farmers, who claimed they were unaware of the site's allocation to the VDP for this campaign.

Maxime Y. Bakouan, President of the special delegation of Douroula, attempted mediation by calling for a consultation meeting with involved parties. The agricultural VDP officials noted that while landowners reaffirmed their commitment to the project, the farmers did not attend the meeting. Consequently, agricultural work continued on the contested site.

Despite these efforts, less than half a hectare of the original 15 remains available, with other farmers having sown most of the area. Interventions by the canton chief and landowners who ceded the land have yet to resolve the dispute.

As the dispute continues, the agricultural VDPs have prepared inputs and equipment to begin the campaign. Received on July 4, 2026, the equipment includes seeds, tarpaulins, and sprayers aimed at cultivating 12.5 hectares of maize, cowpea, peanut, and okra. Corn planting is scheduled for before July 15, aligning with the agricultural campaign calendar. However, with no resolution by July 7 and the rainy season underway, the beneficiaries are hopeful for a swift resolution to meet the initiative's production targets.