Farmers’ planting practices in Burkina Faso

Background

Improved Seed Supply for Agroforestry in African Countries (ISSAAC) is a Danish funded project led by ICRAF, FLD, and national seed centers in Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Uganda. This paper focuses on the project in Burkina Faso, whose overall objective is to improve farmer access to agroforestry seed. 

Goals & Method

This report summarizes a field survey conducted in Burkina Faso that examined the country's tree seed sector and the effectiveness of seed distribution. The survey was conducted in 12 villages across the country and within each vilage 12 farmers were chosen. The researchers also interviewed two large tree planters and two nursery managers.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The survey found that more than half the farmers planted trees, most of whom used exotics and fruit trees. It also concluded that most farmers use seedlings as their reproductive material and seldomly use improved seeds. The paper concludes stating that many farmers are untrained in propagating trees, which is a significant area of improvement that should be addressed in the future.