On 2 March 2026, the Minister of State in charge Agriculture, Commander Ismaël SOMBIE, visited Bagré to see how several agricultural initiatives were progressing. This field visit provided an opportunity to monitor grape production, rice cultivation developments and food stocks intended to regulate cereal prices.
Grape cultivation for local wine production
The Minister visited a 4-hectare vineyard, with plans to expand it by 6 hectares.
In Bèga, the Minister visited a vineyard already covering four hectares. An extension of six hectares is also planned. A total of 17,496 irrigated grapevines have been planted and are beginning to bear their first fruits. The aim of this project is to produce wine locally in order to reduce imports and make this product more accessible to Burkinabe consumers.
According to Prosper ZEMBA, Director of Plant Production at the Ministry of Agriculture, this initiative also aims to reduce foreign exchange outflows. Every year, Burkina Faso spends around 100 billion CFA francs on wine imports. For him, the development of vineyards in Burkina Faso will therefore enable these financial resources to be kept in the country.
Infrastructure developments to boost rice cultivation
The Minister also travelled to Grimogo to visit the canal development works for rice cultivation. The rice-growing plain covers 2,194 hectares, with 25 kilometres of irrigation canals currently under construction. This infrastructure will enable producers to make better use of water from the Bagré dam and intensify production. The aim is to move to three agricultural seasons per year and to make the most of the water infrastructure already in place in the area.
At Bagré, the Minister also visited a maize storage facility belonging to SONAGESS. This facility can hold 1,000 tonnes of maize in sacks. According to the Director General of SONAGESS, Stéphane Gildas TIENDREBEOGO, a collection campaign among producers has enabled 56,381 tonnes of cereals to be gathered, out of a target of 57,000 tonnes.
According to Director General Stéphane Gildas TIENDREBEOGO, the collection campaign among producers has already gathered 56,381 tonnes of grain, out of a target of 57,000 tonnes.
These reserves are used to build up three types of stocks: the national security stock to deal with food crises; the intervention stock to meet urgent needs; and the commercial stock to regulate market prices. The aim is to maintain the price of a 50 kg bag of maize at 8,500 CFA francs throughout the country. The institution also wants to lower the price of 25 kg of local rice to less than 10,000 CFA francs, compared to the current price of 12,000 to 13,000 CFA francs.
Improving packaging to promote Burkinabe products
Emphasised the importance of high-quality packaging for agricultural products in order to promote the ‘Burkina Faso’ label.
During his visit, Minister Ismaël SOMBIE also emphasised the importance of high-quality packaging for agricultural products in order to promote the ‘Burkina Faso’ label, particularly with a view to export. In his view, a well-presented products makes consumers want to buy it and can sell better on international markets.
Patricia Fourouwié Aissa COULIBALY
