seeds, good soil, daily watering ... What takes more to grow vegetables?
That's what I thought, six months ago, when I arrived in the agro-economic cell of my NGO (Non Governmental Organization). The cell tracks more than 400 producers in their cereal and vegetable production across the board of management at the farm. This council is a decision aid, a tool for analyzing the profitability of the producer himself, and decision making to improve the situation of its operations.
September advisors accompany each producer so that they can better understand the costs, revenues and technical aspects their production.
I could quickly understand that gardening requires money to invest, knowledge and hard work! First, it requires access to a water point. Some have one or two wells, the other a basin of water, while groups have benefited from major projects for the construction of dam retaining rainwater.
Subsequently, the years are needed before building up the knowledge needed for growing quality plants at good yields. The gardeners must find the water supply and the optimal amount of fertilizer relation to soil type in their region. They need to find quality seeds, allowing good seedling emergence. They must master the preparation of nurseries and treatment for illness. They have all year to make compost need organic fertilizer. Only the best organized are irrigated with a pump, most go to watering by sprinklers, over 500m2! The north of Burkina Faso produced many potatoes and onion. It also includes cabbage, tomato, eggplant, carrots, garlic, pepper.
(a producer uses for its sprinklers Percell cabbage, to continue it to water his tomato plots)
And that's just the production! The success or failure of a gardening season is observed more in the sale. We need to find a buyer for its products, the distance from major roads often making the process very complicated. The pressing need for money producers make the organization more difficult, each trying to sell as quickly as possible. If all goes well, the good gardener can get out of this three months of work with $ 200 in his pocket. It may if wells or reservoirs have dried up, repeated the exercise again.
(we are prepared to sell onions)
the game worth the candle by cons. The revenue generated allows the family to send children to school, pay medical expenses, clothing and even open an account at a Savings and Credit. They allow men to stay in the village instead of going to "hunt" for gold or work in town. Women can also practice this income generating activity, allowing it to participate in family expenses and increase its status. The producer group around a site also increases social cohesion and knowledge sharing. In the case of the Management Council that we, the producers also come to occupy leadership positions in their community, since they have acquired the skills of managers on their farms. They can become treasurer of a group, president of a youth association, responsible for credit and collections. Listen to two producers:
"The Management Council has solved all my problems. Before I get into an activity, I estimate in advance what she will bring, so now I see that my budget has increased and I'm good to feed my family. I was able to enroll two children because I understood the importance of school. My whole family is doing well. I could buy a cart. "
For another, the impact is different: "Before I joined (the Council of Management) I was running hurt my attic so often famine struck my family. Now we eat very well all year. And with the money I earn more, I can educate my children and to ensure the health of the family that falls from less ill. I could marry a new wife. "
activity of gardening is an activity that development in Burkina, but not without difficulty. The control of water, lack of equipment, plant diseases and especially the development of markets for the sale are constraints of society and the various development projects trying to raise, with the help of producers and their associations .
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