Rice production encouraged by the policy environment. Rice production is boosted, in line with Dimension 1 (hereafter dimensions are referred to as “D#”) of the National Rural Sector Plan (PNSR). Producers are protected by import tariffs, benefit from price support policies and are targeted by a large share of the agricultural expenditures. Importers exact very high margins which inflate imported rice prices, penalizing consumers. This goes against D3 of the recent National Policy for Food Security and Nutrition (PNSAN). However, it also has a protective effect for producers by artificially pulling upwards all rice prices in Ouagadougou, including local rice.  

The cotton value chain subsidies impeding the objective of diversification. The cotton value chain is heavily subsidized, both through price incentives and agricultural expenditures. This is coherent with the importance of cotton as a source of export revenue, employment and driver of agricultural growth. However, the concentration of budgetary support to cotton diverts resources away from export diversification and investment in food crops value chains. For instance, the sesame value chain receives virtually no budget support, despite weighing 20 percent of the country’s agricultural exports. The lack of diversification goes against D1 of the National Rural Sector Programme (PNSR).

Weak policy support to sorghum and maize value chains despite their importance for resilience. Sorghum and maize prices are volatile and both value chains are hampered by supply and demand mismatch from year to year. This is determined by climatic hazard and the lack of an effective market information system in support of farmers’ production decisions.  It highlights the need to increase the value chains’ resilience, as per D2 of the PNSAN.

Strong budgetary support to livestock production but not enough invested in marketing. Livestock capitalizes an impressive share of agriculture-specific expenditures. However, price levels are short from meeting regional reference prices, due to the absence of policy support aimed at better structuring the value chain.

Public investment essentially aimed at improving rice and cotton production through irrigation and subsidies. Overall, public expenditures in support of food and agriculture have largely been focused on variable inputs (for cotton) and fixed inputs (for rice). Support to irrigation is very significant (73 percent of public expenditures for agricultural infrastructure), in line with objective 1 of Dimension 1 of the PNSAN (improve water management).

Download the report: Analysis of public expenditure in support of food and agriculture in Burkina Faso, 2006-2013 (in French).

For additional information on the indicators shown in the graphs and the terminology used, please refer to MAFAP’s Glossary on Public Expenditure and Methodological Guidelines - Volume II - Public Expenditure. For detailed information on the data provided, please go to the MAFAP database.