(HERALD) Equip smallholder farmers, Africa told
Equip smallholder farmers, Africa toldBy Victoria Ruzvidzo recently in Cape Town, South
AFRICA should urgently step up agriculture production largely through equipping the smallholder farmer if it is to fend off the unfolding global food crisis. Zimbabwe has already taken the lead in empowering smallholder farmers through the farm mechanisation programme spearheaded by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Thousands of farming implements have been distributed to A1 and A2 farmers under a phased programme that is rapidly transforming agriculture in the country.
During deliberations dubbed "Food Insecurity: A Perfect Storm" at the 18th World Economic Forum on Africa last week, delegates said the continent should adopt strategies to boost agricultural production.
On average, governments on the continent were allocating a mere three percent of their total budgets to agriculture, a figure that would need to be increased to at least 10 percent.
The sector was the backbone of the continent’s economy.
"Smallholder farmers, if given enough resources and information, can significantly improve production. Currently they are neglected," said Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa executive director Mr Monty Jones.
Already, inputs such as fertilizers and seed for the next agricultural season would need to be mobilised now to ensure better yields.
"The potential is there, the land is there so Africa should get on with the work," said Mr Gareth Ackerman from Kenya.
Africa needed to take the global food crisis as anopportunity to increase food production.
During Wednesday’s opening plenary, Malawian President Mr Bingu Wa Mutharika said the continent had the potential to produce enough to feed the world.
World Bank Africa region vice president Obiageli Ezekwesili said the rising food prices would exert pressure on already constrained budgets in most African countries hence the need to strategise.
"The yields in Africa are the lowest in the world. Its not just about fertilizers but there is need formore research . . . Farmers should just organise themselves," she said.
SA’s African National Congress president Mr Jacob Zuma said the continent needed to take a more holistic approach to the food crisis. It was an issue that required a multi-lateral approach. The root cause of the food price hikes was the rising oil price, which had gone up to US$130 a barrel from US$11 a few years ago.
Tackling the rising food prices was more urgent than what many believed.
"The issue of food prices is actually a time bomb. Many people have no money to buy food and when the prices go up they cannot buy at all.
Let’s also bear in mind that those who are poor do not have the luxury to sit and rationalise like we are doing now," said Mr Zuma.
He said it would be folly to expect governments alone to solve the crisis.
"This is a global problem so if we are living in a global world we should have global solutions to global problems," he said, in response to an earlier contribution by Ezekwesili that Governments needed to find solutions to the challenge.
"But ultimately governments should revamp their agricultural policies. Governments should re-prioritise agriculture," she (Ezekwesili) insisted.
On its part the World Bank had increased agriculture lending to Africa to US$800 million from US$450million previously. One greatest undoing to the "green revolution" was the neglect by many countries to encourage students to take up agricultural studies.
This had compromised the efficient use of resources and a reduction in the number of extension workers who previously assisted farmers in their ventures.
posted by MrK @ 3:06 AM
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