2023-12-28 01:14:04
In the Central African Republic, December is the month of the orange harvest. The village of Borossé, located 35 km north of the capital Bangui, is considered one of the first centers of orange production in the country. But this year, farmers are unable to sell their goods due to the poor state of the roads and illegal roadblocks.
From our correspondent in Bangui,
At the entrance to the Borossé village, 5,000 orange trees are lined up on either side of the road over a distance of five kilometers. On the branches, we can see green, yellow or orange oranges depending on the variety. This village is one of the country’s leading orange producers, a reputation that has earned it its nickname “orange capital”.
Ruffin Doubalé is a 45-year-old farmer. In his plot, he reserves a portion of ten hectares for the production of oranges. With an average of 1,000 orange trees per hectare and a yield of 20 tonnes each year, he has been one of the largest producers in the village for 20 years. “ It’s difficult to work on 10 hectares of orange treesreveals the cultivator. This is why every year, I mobilize around ten workers during the orange season. These young people that you see are there to maintain the orange trees and look for anomalies that can harm the fruit. ».
Privat, one of Ruffin’s sons, is one of the workers. At the age of 22, his father passed on his passion for oranges to him: “ I love orangeshe says. It’s a stimulant that gives me an appetite. When it is freshly picked like this, it is soft, natural and very sweet. For years, my father has worked with archaic means. But I am fighting to become one of the major orange producers in the CAR within five years. »
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Road infrastructure still too precarious
A large storage area of 20 m² is located at the west corner of the plot. This is where Ruffin keeps his oranges. To improve his yields, he counts on experts like this man, Mboligoumba Toussaint: “ I’ve been interested in oranges for 32 yearshe says. For two years, I have been supporting this young entrepreneur in his activities. I help it develop nurseries in order to have a better yield and above all to consolidate its economy. »
This year, Ruffin had a production surplus because the rainy season lasted eight months instead of six. This is an advantage, but he cannot sell his products: “ The problem is the degradation of the roads that connect Bangui to our village. The trucks I rented no longer want to come here. The few who come cost too much and that works against us ».
Some sellers are forced to come to the source to get supplies. This is the case of Diane Kossi: “ I am obliged to come to the source, she testifies. I rented this bush taxi for 150,000 CFA francs [approximativement 225 euros] because fuel is scarce. To this must be added the road hassles. It’s true that we won’t win much like before, but I have to continue ».
The Borossé village has more than 2,000 inhabitants, including more than 800 orange producers, according to the village chief. To be more influential, they want to set up a producer group.
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