Posted on July, 27, 2022 at 09:26 am
The agricultural sector in Africa is in need of transformation.The potential of the sector, according to analysts, is stunted because majority of African food growers are subsistence smallholder farmers. For African Development Bank (AfDB) and its partners, the solution lies in raising domestic agricultural production. DANIEL ESSIET reports.
For the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa is a huge market that cannot be ignored.
Despite this advantage, however, the agricultural sector has some challenges, which both organisations believe, when addressed, could improve the industry’s efficiency, food insecurity and stability.
As a result, FAO and AfDB have been urging countries to invest in agriculture as an engine of growth.
Without assistance to the agriculture sector and programmes in rural areas, both organisations maintain that food insecurity would continue to rise.
One country that has shown interest in sharing agricultural strategies and technological innovation to tackle the challenge of long-term food security in Africa is Japan. Having lifted the nation’s food self-sufficiency rate to 45 per cent, African governments look up to Japan to overcome their challenges to boost rice, meat and dairy production.
The Japan government advises various governments on how best to secure opportunities for farmers and food producers through innovative proposals to ensure the sector remains competitive. As there is the need for greater investment in agriculture to ensure the continent continue to feed its population, adopt more climate resilient crops and techniques, AfDB has been collaborating with organisations from Japan to explore opportunities in the agricultural sector as the demand for food grows, but that support remained insufficient, particularly for smallholders.
The President, AfDB, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, believes boosting agriculture production could help to reduce Africa’s food import bill.
He agreed that Japan’s support was crucial to reboot the sector for growth.
In 2016, AfDB and Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote agriculture and agri-business in Africa.
Under the MoU, the AfDB and SAA would collaborate on commercialisation of smallholder agriculture and food security; gender empowerment for better participation in economic development; private sector development; as well as youth engagement in agribusiness.
Since October 2020, SAA has been conducting surveys and training trainers to promote Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion (SHEP), which has been developed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
With the theme: JICA Project on the Promotion of Market-oriented Agricultural Extension System for Livelihood Improvement in Nigeria, it has established an implementation system for market-oriented extension service and expanded SHEP Approach to 20 states.
Last year, JICA and the African Development Fund (ADF) – the concessional arm of the African Development Bank Group – signed a loan of 73.6 billion Japanese yen ($668.1 million) to support the 15th replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF-15).
During the ceremony, where Adesina and Japanese Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, Kuramitsu Hideaki signed an Exchange of Notes.
Adesina highlighted the bank’s partnership with Japan, including the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance Initiative, which was launched in 2005. As at February, last year, Japan’s total contribution to the initiative amounts to $4.6 billion.
Japan and the FAO believe that Africa’s agriculture sector should be a catalyst for growth.Therefore, major efforts should focus on making agriculture attractive and profitable for youths.
For FAO, Japan is a major ally in promoting rural development and food security and nutrition worldwide. Japan is not only one of FAO’s major resource partners in Africa; it also provides the expertise of skilled Japanese specialists for various agricultural projects in the region.
Early, this year, FAO’s Sub-regional Office for Eastern Africa (SFE) and the Japanese Government Mission to the African Union launched a sub-regional project. It is aimed at fostering employment among women and youths in agriculture and agribusiness in six Eastern Africa countries.
Source: The Nation