The 24th Inter-Arms Regiment (RIA) in Banfora has officially launched agricultural production as part of the Presidential Initiative for Agricultural Production and Food Self-Sufficiency (P-P3A), a national campaign to boost food security by engaging military and civil institutions in farming.
On July 15, a delegation from the National Office of Major Projects visited the regiment’s newly developed site to ensure it was fully operational. The mission was accompanied by journalists and welcomed by top officials from the regiment.
The 24th RIA, located in what is locally known as the “City of the Black Peasant,” has been allocated a one-hectare plot equipped with modern agricultural infrastructure. The site includes a wire mesh fence, a borehole with a 5 m³/hour capacity fitted with a submersible pump, solar panels, 50 m³ water ponds, a 5 m³ water tower, and an advanced laser-spray irrigation system.
Although the allocated land is smaller than those of other units involved in the initiative, the limitation was due to spatial constraints. “That problem is now resolved,” said Lieutenant Soulga Yacouba, commander of the 24th RIA. “We now have a larger area and hope that the full four hectares planned under the initiative will soon be developed.”
Despite the limited space, the regiment has already begun cultivation. For the current rainy season, the soldiers are growing eggplants, onions, maize, and other crops. They have also planted fruit trees to maximize land use.
Lieutenant Yacouba noted that the harvests will primarily support the regiment’s kitchen, enhancing the nutritional quality of meals served to troops. “This will strengthen the barracks’ food supply and improve the soldiers’ diet,” he explained.
The project aligns with the broader goal of making Burkina Faso more food self-sufficient, particularly through innovative civil-military cooperation in sustainable agriculture.
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