June 28-29 in Bujumbura, Burundi - Agri-ProFocus announces the launch of its eleventh Agri-Hub! At the kick-off meeting, interested parties came together and defined a set of themes that they would like to work on.

Earlier this year, Agri-ProFocus member organisations ICCO, Oxfam Novib, IFDC and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands had decided on forming an ‘Agri-Hub Grands Lacs’ as a superstructure for the Agri-Hub Rwanda and two new-to-be-founded Agri-Hubs in Burundi and the Congolese Kivu provinces. The three Hubs will exist individually, but also regularly combine their activities and expertise.

Since then, much has happened to get the Agri-Hub Burundi prepared. ICCO hired a consultant to probe for the interest of local partners and make an analysis of the actual state of affairs in rural value chain development in Burundi. Oxfam Novib kindly agreed to host the kick-off workshop.

At the two days’ launching event, the possible benefits of an Agri-Hub in Burundi were discussed among about fifty interested people from all sectors (private enterprises, farmer cooperatives, NGOs, state agencies and knowledge institutes). Especially the presentation of madame Césari, a women farmers’ group leader in Rwanda, who explained what Agri-Hub Rwanda has meant for the development of farmer entrepreneurship within her own cooperative, convinced the participants to support the Agri-Hub in Burundi as well.

On the second day of the meeting, the participants decided to start working with 4 thematic groups:

• Farm-firm relations within the value chain
• Financial services
• Access to quality inputs
• Network development

All groups are planning to organise a first event before the end of the year. ICCO will recruit a coordinator for the new Agri-Hub soon.

The new online Burundi platform can be accessed at http://apf-burundi.ning.com. Subscription is open to all interested.