Research institute urges Africa to push for wheat self-sufficiency
By Kabanda Chulu in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tue 02 Apr. 2013, 14:00 CAT
AN agriculture research institute has warned that Africa will face more hunger, instability and political violence if the continent does not push for wheat self-sufficiency.
Making a presentation titled 'wheat: a strategic crop for Africa' at the 9th Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) representative Bekele Shiferaw stated that African countries would spend about US$12 billion to import some 40 million tonnes of wheat to feed the continent's rapidly expanding populace.
"This constitutes more than a fourth of Africa's total food import expenditures (US$40 billion). Yet Africa's farmers produce only 44 per cent of the wheat consumed on the continent, with wheat self-sufficiency rates going down," Shiferaw stated. "These trends threaten the nutritional and economic security of the region and if Africa doesn't push for wheat self-sufficiency, it can face more hunger, instability and even political violence."
According to the report, Africa's wheat research and production could become important for the rest of the world.
"For example, current research in Kenya and Ethiopia is helping stop global spread of major dangerous wheat diseases such as Ug99 stem rust.
By 2013, Kenya and Ethiopia will have enough rust resistant seed to replace susceptible varieties now sown by farmers," it stated.
It also challenged African countries to stimulate domestic production and stop subsidising wheat imports.
"There are currently many infrastructure bottlenecks in the wheat value chain which prevent farmers from accessing inputs, markets and consumers and grain marketing costs are too high," it stated.
It advised Africa to increase local wheat production and reduce dependence on volatile international markets.
"Protecting domestic production will help to remove heavy import subsidies. It will also support policy harmonisation of national standards on seed varieties produced in and for African countries," it stated.
Labels: CAADP, WHEAT
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ZNFU calls for effective use of agric allocation
Written by Florence Bupe
Tuesday, February 03, 2009 9:07:08 AM
THE Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has called for an effective use of increased funding to the agricultural sector for its development.
And ZNFU has commended the government’s decision to zero rate value added tax (VAT) on agricultural equipment.
ZNFU president Jervis Zimba said increased funding to the agriculture sector from 5.8 per cent in 2008 to 7.2 per cent of the total budget was a step in the right direction in the achievement of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) objectives.
The government this year has allocated slightly above K1 trillion to the agricultural sector, up from around K800 billion given in last year’s national budget. This year’s figure is however still below the agreed 10 per cent allocation of the total budget as contained in the Maputo Declaration on agriculture which Zambia is signatory to.
“It is important to note that increased funding to agriculture is one thing but the application of these funds and implementation is another, and this is the area where we have lagged behind as a country,” he said.
He urged the government to prioritise the control of livestock diseases as a way of enhancing the sub-sector.
Zimba further advised more prudent application of the fertilizer support programme, which had taken up 39.7 per cent of the agricultural budget.
“The resources put to the FSP at 39.7 per cent of the total agricultural budget are very significant, and if put to good use, can achieve increased production,” he said.
And Zimba said the move to zero rate VAT on agricultural equipment would reduce costs for small scale farmers who were unable to recover VAT.
“The union is pleased that government adopted the full list of agricultural equipment and spares that we proposed for VAT zero rating in our budget submissions. This will assist greatly in costs low for the farmers,” said Zimba.
Labels: 2009 BUDGET, CAADP, JERVIS ZIMBA, ZNFU
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IMF, World Bank to continue supporting CAADP
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 5:42:19 PM
GLOBAL Development partners, including World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), have reiterated their commitment to support and further the implementation of the
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). During the Partnership for African Advancing Agriculture meeting at the 2008 World Bank/ IMF annual meetings, the development partners assured their support towards the implementation of the CAADP agenda being undertaken by COMESA and other Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
World Bank vice-president for the African region Obiageli Ezekwesili informed the meeting that the World Bank remains committed to the Agricultural agenda and noted that agricultural investments would double in 2008.
She said the Bank was completely aligned to the CAADP process and called for increased investments in research while Fore also expressed USAID's interest in backing the singular process of CAADP and expressed her desire for the CAADP process to be expedited for the benefit of development in Africa.
And USAID assistant administrator, Franklin Moore, in facilitating the discussions noted the progress that COMESA had made in implementing CAADP and praised COMESA's vision in designing a key initiative in the staples crop sector, the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA).
Development partners from the other countries and organisations also pledged their support to further the CAADP agenda and re-emphasised that all agricultural related requests from the region be made within the CAADP context.
Others in attendance were African ministers of agriculture, African Union deputy chairperson, Erastus Mwencha, COMESA Secretary General, Sindiso Ngwenya and other key stakeholders.
Labels: ACTESA, CAADP, COMESA, IMF, USAID, World Bank
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COMESA, partners agree on regional staple food programme
By Fridah Zinyama
Thursday October 11, 2007 [04:00]
THE Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and its cooperating partners have agreed to design a regional staple food programme. The regional staple food programme, which will include other member countries of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), seeks to improve food security in African countries that have potential to contribute to the continent's food basket.
According to the COMESA CAADP newsletter, the programme would initially focus on maize, cassava, beans and bananas but would expand to other staple foods in due course.
"The partners agreed to work with COMESA's CAADP agenda in the area of staples to build on existing programmes in the region," the newsletter stated.
The newsletter indicated that COMESA's designed programme would collaborate with various activities in the Intergovernmental Authority for Development which also seeks to improve food security in the region.
Earlier, agriculture permanent secretary Richard Chizyuka said agriculture remained a vital economic engine in all member states of COMESA.
Chizyuka said the region appreciated the effort COMESA was taking in increasing food production in the region.
"Of particular importance among COMESA's agricultural sector activities is in the area of arresting soil degradation through the design of an agricultural inputs strategy in collaboration with SADC," Chizyuka said. "We look forward to the full implementation of that initiative."
He added that COMESA's intervention was visible in the irrigation sub-sector through the fielding of experienced experts from India to identify priority interventions.
"We, in Zambia have prioritised the agricultural sector as the key sector for national development," Chizyuka added. "We trust that through the CAADP initiative, our member states will be fully supported to succeed in the agricultural sector."
He explained that Zambia was endowed with good soils, abundant water and diverse climate, which could be used for development and growth.
"For our part as government, we can assure you that agriculture will be getting the attention and support that it needs and that real efforts will be made to tap its potential for growth and the achievement of food security for all Zambians," said Chizyuka.
Labels: CAADP, COMESA, FOOD
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