Burundi coffee output seen slashed

BUJUMBURA – Burundi expects coffee production to fall sharply to 6 000 tonnes worth about US$15 million (N$100,5 million) this year from 37 000 tonnes valued at US$65 million in 2004, partly due to a lack of rain, an official said yesterday.

Director General of Burundi’s coffee board OCIBU Barthelemy Niyikiza called the situation a “catastrophe” for Burundi’s coffee farmers and the economy which is emerging from more than a decade of civil war. “The situation is catastrophic, we’ve called for rescue,” Niyikiza told Reuters, saying that the cyclical nature of coffee-growing was another factor that pushed production lower.”Generally, when the production is good this year, the next year it is bad.If only cyclical factors were involved, we would have expected production of 15 000 tonnes this year, but climate disturbances, especially rain shortages have made the situation worse,” he added.The greatly reduced income expected from the sale of this year’s coffee will hurt the sector’s privatisation efforts as well as limit Burundi’s ability to import essentials such as building materials and fertilisers, Niyikiza said.”There will be a deficit of US$50 million, which is a huge loss for the country and also the coffee sector which is in the process of liberalisation and privatisation,” he said.The coffee auction is due to begin on August 17 and end in December.Niyikiza appealed for urgent measures such as micro-financing, to help farmers.”Otherwise, they face terrible misery,” he said.Coffee has long been Burundi’s main export, worth about 80 per cent of the state’s foreign-exchange earnings.Production peaked during the 1994/5 season when Burundi exported 41 000 tonnes worth about US$80 million, but the industry has since been hit by war and weak global prices.Ethnic conflict between rebels from the Hutu majority and the politically dominant Tutsi minority has killed 300 000 people since 1993 and forced another 700 000 to flee the country.With rich soils, seasonal rainfall and high-altitude mountains and sitting near the equator, Burundi enjoys some of the best coffee-growing conditions in the world.-Nampa-Reuters”The situation is catastrophic, we’ve called for rescue,” Niyikiza told Reuters, saying that the cyclical nature of coffee-growing was another factor that pushed production lower.”Generally, when the production is good this year, the next year it is bad.If only cyclical factors were involved, we would have expected production of 15 000 tonnes this year, but climate disturbances, especially rain shortages have made the situation worse,” he added.The greatly reduced income expected from the sale of this year’s coffee will hurt the sector’s privatisation efforts as well as limit Burundi’s ability to import essentials such as building materials and fertilisers, Niyikiza said.”There will be a deficit of US$50 million, which is a huge loss for the country and also the coffee sector which is in the process of liberalisation and privatisation,” he said.The coffee auction is due to begin on August 17 and end in December.Niyikiza appealed for urgent measures such as micro-financing, to help farmers.”Otherwise, they face terrible misery,” he said.Coffee has long been Burundi’s main export, worth about 80 per cent of the state’s foreign-exchange earnings.Production peaked during the 1994/5 season when Burundi exported 41 000 tonnes worth about US$80 million, but the industry has since been hit by war and weak global prices.Ethnic conflict between rebels from the Hutu majority and the politically dominant Tutsi minority has killed 300 000 people since 1993 and forced another 700 000 to flee the country.With rich soils, seasonal rainfall and high-altitude mountains and sitting near the equator, Burundi enjoys some of the best coffee-growing conditions in the world.-Nampa-Reuters