Beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, maize and rice constitute the basic staple foods for the majority of the Burundian population. Beans are the main staple crop in Burundi; cassava, sweet potatoes, maize and rice are also very important, the former constituting the main source of protein for most low‐ and middle‐income households. Bujumbura, the capital and largest urban center in the country, functions as an assembly, wholesale and retail and main consumer market. It receives beans and sweet potatoes mainly from Gitega,
Bujumbura, Kirundo and neighboring countries, for consumption and also acts as an assembly market for trade with the central regions of the country and DRC. Kirundo is one of the most important markets for the country because it is located in a very large beans production area, and is linked with Rwanda in the north. Muyinga, Cankuzo and Ruyigi are important cross‐border markets with connections to Tanzania. Makamba sits in a southern cross-border market with connections to Tanzania. Cibitoke is a town in the North West, with trade connections with Democratic Republic of Congo.