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(The Burundi profile does not include a map since reliable data pertaining to potato cultivation and distribution is not aviable)

I. Importance of potato

I.1. Area of production: 9,000 ha for 1998 (data from FAO).

I.2. Total production: 27,319 t for 2001 (data from Ministry of Agriculture). The annual production per province since 1996 is given in annex 1.

I.3. Export and import: The data on import and export of potato are not available. But, the potato coming from Rwanda has helped to stabilize prices in Bujumbura markets and consequently in the producing areas.

I.4. Rank of potato: It is quite difficult to rank the potato among the other important commodities. In terms of production volume, the potato ranks the tenth after banana, cassava, sweetpotato, beans, maize, taro, sorghum and peas (full data in annex 2). However, in terms of investments for research and development allocated to food crops (Research organizations, Ministry of Agriculture, NGOs, UNDP, FAO and other stakeholders), the potato ranks the first although the figures are not available.

I.5. Processing/industrial use: There is no industrial use of potato in Burundi. As far as processing is concerned, the French fries are made in many restaurants and all hotels. They are also made in households especially in urban cities and towns.

I.6. Contribution to the national economy: The potato used to be a staple food. Its importance has increased and now the potato, among the other food crops, is the major cash earner in the growing areas.

II. Major constraints

The major constraints to which PRAPACE is supposed to contribute to their alleviation are as follows:

�� Low yielding varieties 
�� Lack of clean seed; 
�� Inappropriate storage techniques of ware and seed potato; 
�� Long dormancy of varieties; 
�� Diseases and pests 

o Late Blight 
o Bacterial Wilt 
o Fusarium 
o Potato Tuber Moth 

�� Poor soil fertility 
�� Drought 

III. Potato scientists

(∗) Time effectively allocated to potato research.

However, this staff is not sufficient because we need one PhD in Plant Pathology (10%), one PhD in Post-harvest (20%), one PhD in Plant Breeding (20%) and one Ingénieur Agronome in Agronomy (100%).

IV. Facilities

Most facilities which are available at the Program were provided bu CIP during the 10-year Project in Burundi. The following are the main facilities that we have.

Offices

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ In vitro laboratory

7 screenhouses

4 DLS (Diffused Light Stores)

Farms

1 pick-up

1 motocycle

1 tractor

1 Destop (with Internet connectivity)

We need one more vehicle and lab equipment especially an analytical balance is lacking. Our lab does not have balance. We need to travel up to 70 km for weighting chemicals. If the funds were available, she should expand our lab and screenhouses.

V. Priorities

Our potato research priorities for the future will focus on the increase of the yield and the quality of ware and seed through Participatory Research and Development Approach.

For short-term (within 3 years)

• Release of new genotypes

• Integrated Pest Management

• Integrated Nutrient Management

• Germplasm evaluation for lowlands

• Clean Seed Production

For medium-term ( In addition to the short-term)

• Research on genotypes with high dry matter content

For long-term (Not available)

VI. Technology transfer

As far as technology transfer is concerned, our Institute has several Pre-Extension Programs (Ateliers de recherche in French) based in many provinces. At on-farm level, they test new technologies generated by scientists. The ISABU should be grateful if PRAPACE could support to introduce and institutionalize the Participatory Research and Development Approach in the research activities of the Institute in terms of training, and providing research funds and technical support.

VII. Major achievements

In the case of Burundi potato research, the major achievements related to PRAPACE are as follows:

�� Participation to workshops, conferences, training courses and other types of forum;

�� Networking with other regional and international scientists;

�� Release of improved varieties: 8 varieties have been released through PRAPACE facilitation. Those varieties are Uganda 11, Ndinamagara, Sangema, Majambere, Rukinzo, Ingabire, Jubile and Victoria.

�� Clean seed production technology: The Program has a excellent scheme of seed production from micropropagation to field production. The network contributed a lot for the development and sustainability of the technology. For example, this network provided ELISA kits for the detection of Bacterial Wilt before the onset of the disease symptoms.

However, these achievements are not the only ones available in the Program. Other impacts were obtained due to other partners (including the Government). We should recognize however that it is quite difficult to relate an impact to a given individual partner because the intervention is rarely isolated.

VIII. Available technologies/findings/recommendations

�� Variety selection: 5 clones are ready for release. Those clones are: CIP382195.21, CIP382171.4, CIP382171.10, KP90116.89 and KP90134.64.

�� Participatory Research and Development Approach.

�� IDM for Bacterial Wilt.

IX. List of publications

• Essai de comparaison des 3 principales régions de culture de pomme de terre au Burund (French). Paper presented during the 4th Triennial Congress of African Potato Association. 24-28 February 1997, Pretoria, South Africa.

• Evaluation d’un germoplasme européen de pomme de terre dans les conditions écologiques du Burundi (French). Paper presented during the 5th Triennial Congress of the African Potato Association. 29 May-2 June 2000. Kampala, Uganda.

X. List of partners

�� University of Burundi (Faculty of Agriculture)

�� World Vision Burundi (NGO)

�� Other Programs of ISABU

�� IRAZ (Institut de Recherche Agronomique et Zootechnique)

�� Ministry of Agriculture

XI. Policy

The potato crop is a priority for the Government. Any initiative to promote this particular crop is supported by the Government. Unfortunately, like other crops, the socio-economical situation in Burundi does not allow the Government to fund the R&D on potato yet. The current strategy is to look for donors from abroad.

XII. Planning and Monitoring

Each Program is guided by a 5-year plan. At beginning of each year, each scientist elaborates an action plan which is approved by a review panel composed by other scientists of the Institute. The scientist is committed to implement the planned activities and to write the annual report. The Director of Department makes the follow up of the activities during the year.

The PRAPACE should help in revising the scientific documents (action plans, reports, scientific publications, …) by institutionalizing the peer review among the regional scientists working on the same commodity. This should done not only for activities funded by PRAPACE but also for the entire national program.

XIII. Value of networking

The role of PRAPACE in the R&D for my Program is very important. My Program benefits a lot from that network not only for the research funds that we have receiving, but in terms of networking. In fact, the funds can be provided by any donor interested in the particular commodity but that direct funding will isolate us from our regional peers with whom we share the same livelihood. By networking, we share our respective experiences. Therefore, a successful technology can be adopted/adapted from one country to another saving hence time and money required for the duplication. In the other hand, donors save money by organizing regional training instead of doing it for each country separately which is costly and time consuming.

There are 2 Annexes Available:

Annex 1

Average national potatoe production by province (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001).

Annex2

Importance of potatoe among other major food commodities in Burundi.