Burundi
Initial project is the creation of Smart Farm Center pilot program in the provinces of Kayanza in Burundi in Year 1, with expansion to the Ngozi project slated for Years 2-5. Smart Farm Centers deliver bundled services to small farmers related to mechanization, improved inputs and input practices, irrigation, post-harvest handling, storage, processing, and marketing. Successful mechanization programs will be linked to adequate information systems about proposed operational areas (soil conditions, landscape, climate, major crops, farming style, market accessibility, etc.). Consequently, smart farming approaches, linking mechanization to agronomic information systems, capable and trusted management, and good business practices will move smallholder farmers in Kayanza and Ngozi toward greater production, autonomy, and economic growth.