Key facts
- Oumarou Compaoré is successfully cultivating pineapples in Burkina Faso's Sahel region.
- The initiative aims to reduce reliance on imports and adapt to a harsh climate.
- Compaoré's farm has grown to 50 hectares, with regional fields reaching 100 hectares.
- Pineapple production is now part of Burkina Faso's national development plan.
- Farmers cite profitability and ease of finding buyers for pineapples.
- Challenges include investment in irrigation, transport, and a two-year growing period.
Oumarou Compaoré, a farmer in Burkina Faso, is successfully cultivating pineapples in the Sahel region, a feat previously thought impossible due to the sandy, stony soil and dry climate. His initiative, started in 2018, aims to reduce the country's reliance on imports and adapt to climate change. Compaoré's farm has expanded to 50 hectares, and he is now planting an additional 60,000 seedlings with projections of significant revenue.
The success of Compaoré's farm has inspired other farmers, including Mdme Kaba Séré, who has also expanded her pineapple cultivation. Regional agricultural officials note a significant increase in pineapple fields, with estimates of around 100 hectares in the administrative region. Pineapple production is now integrated into Burkina Faso's national development plan under Captain Ibrahim Traoré's government, which prioritizes food sovereignty.
This push for self-sufficiency includes other agricultural products, with the government having suspended rice imports and inaugurated tomato paste factories. Despite widespread hunger and a decade-long security crisis disrupting farmland access, initiatives like pineapple farming offer a path toward economic independence and improved food security for the nation of 24 million people. Challenges remain, including the need for investment in irrigation, transport, and the fruit's two-year growing cycle, but farmers like Compaoré are optimistic about future yields and the potential for national self-sufficiency in pineapples.