Channel 10 pct budget into agro sector, African states reminded

By David Kisanga

Mahadhi Maalim, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

African countries have been reminded to honour their commitment to allocate 10 percent of their annual budget to agriculture so as to modernise it and ensure food security.
The call was made during celebrations to mark the 51st anniversary of the Africa Day attended by ambassadors and other diplomats.


Since 2003, when the declaration was made in Maputo, Mozambique, only 13 countries namely Burundi, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have met or surpassed the 10 percent target.

Addressing the diplomats, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mahadhi Maalim said this year’s celebration focuses on agriculture with the theme ‘Agriculture and Food Security in Africa 2014’.
He said the theme was purposely chosen to reflect on how the continent could transform the sector.

According to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) official monitoring and evaluation report, most of the countries are yet to increase their spending in agriculture.

“We selected the theme so that we can discuss various challenges facing the agriculture sector and suggest measures to improve the welfare of Africans in this particular field,” Maalim noted.

The Deputy Minister underscored the need to help farmers to move from the hand hoe to mechanised farming to increase yields and realise profit, adding that to ensure food security in the continent, farmers must be helped to adopt modern farming tools.

He said African countries could become a food basket and stop importing food.
“We need to produce enough for ourselves and others...our continent have enough rich soil for productive farming,” he said, insisting that such strategic measures can only be reached if all countries implement the Maputo Declaration.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Africa’s food importation between 1980 and 2007 grew at 3.4 percent per year, mostly due to population growth of 2.6 percent per year.

For his part, Acting Dean of Africa Diplomatic Group (ADG) Major General, Edzai Chimonyo said AU members should come up with strategic plans that will enhance the sector’s growth and enhance welfare of their societies.

Chimonyo who is Zimbabwe’s ambassador in Tanzania pointed out nearly 80 percent of the African population depends on the agriculture sector as a source of income.

Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Yamungu Kayandabila said Tanzania and other African countries should stop being food importers and invest heavily in improving the agriculture sector.

“Food insecurity has remained a challenge to the continent due to lack of willingness to enable farmers adopt modern farming methods...farmers have enough land for farming but produce below capacity,” said Kayandabila. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN