Agricultural and Pastoral Initiative: Prime Minister Launches Mechanized Corn Harvest in Bagré
Bagré, October 20, 2026
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo launched mechanized corn harvesting operations on Tuesday in Bagré on land operated by the state-owned company Faso Agropoles (SOFA) in the Nakambé agropolis.
The demonstration took place on a plot of more than 70 hectares. In total, SOFA cultivates 300 hectares across its various sites. The goal is to speed up harvesting to free up land and prepare for the dry-season planting campaigns, with the aim of achieving three production cycles per year on the irrigated plots.
The combine harvester used is part of the equipment donated to rural communities by the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in June 2025. According to technical officials, it can harvest approximately 10 hectares in eight to ten hours of work. Its use reduces the physical strain of the work, minimizes post-harvest losses, and helps preserve grain quality.
For Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, making optimal use of this equipment is essential for meeting harvest deadlines and allowing for the rapid replanting of fields.
“To achieve the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves in the area of food self-sufficiency, we must modernize our practices and equipment,” he emphasized, praising the machine’s performance.
He noted that the equipment provided by the Head of State has facilitated the deployment of agricultural mechanization teams in the municipalities. These teams offer farmers free or subsidized plowing services. He stressed, however, the need to extend this support to the harvest, so that the increase in cultivated land is accompanied by adequate resources to collect the crops under proper conditions.
The Prime Minister also called for greater promotion of national expertise. He invited the Minister of State for Agriculture, Water, Animal Resources, and Fisheries, Commander Ismaël Sombié, as well as SOFA officials, to promote innovative solutions tailored to the realities faced by farmers.
This initiative is part of the vision of the Progressive People’s Revolution and the implementation of the 2026–2028 Agricultural, Pastoral, Water, and Fisheries Offensive. It aims to improve control over the entire agricultural cycle, from land preparation to harvest, in order to quickly revive crop production and take full advantage of investments made in mechanization. The goal is to sustainably strengthen Burkina Faso’s agricultural productivity and food sovereignty.
