On Thursday November 9, 2023, we took a tour of the rice fields in Toumousseni and Tengrela to find out how the rice harvest is going.
It was in the rice fields of Toumousseni that we began the visit. There, it is a field school operated by women’s associations with the support of technical supervisors from the Comoé provincial directorate of agriculture. In this field school, four plots are farmed by women.
Before the harvest, Séraphin Arthur Ki, head of the technical animation unit of Toumousseni, first spoke with the women about good techniques for harvesting and preserving rice. He invited women not to mix rice with herbs during the harvest and not to beat them on the ground so as not to mix the rice seeds with the stones.
According to the zone head, Ignace Zongo, plowing was done free of charge to support producers in the rice-growing plains as part of the presidential initiative. The rice varieties produced on the different sites in the commune of Banfora are TS2, FKR 62 and KBR. Among these varieties, TS2 is much more appreciated by producers, according to Ignace Zongo.
Regarding rice, approximately 3,597 hectares have been sown and the expected average yield is 03.5 t/ha, insists Ignace Zongo. According to whom, the start of the campaign was not easy because the rains were rare. In addition to this, 80% of rice producers are women and until then they work with pickaxes. “At our level, who are on the ground, we want to do more than that but the means are lacking. Especially the logistical and other means,” explained Ignace Zongo. He did not fail to salute the bravery of the women who did a wonderful job.
The women, through their spokesperson, Maimouna Koné of the Sabarikagni cooperative, showed their gratitude to the technical supervisors for their support throughout the agricultural campaign. Overall, the rice harvest is good in the commune of Banfora. It should be noted that apart from rice, other crops are also produced by women.
Besseri Frédéric OUATTARA/Banfora
