Agriculture reaps what it sowed

Ronelle Rademeyer - Sub-Saharan Africa’s struggle to achieve a sustained and more rapid agricultural growth and increase food security has been the subject of lengthy academic and political debate for decades.In 2003 it led to the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security, which was the first declaration on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The aim was to increase national budgetary allocations for agriculture to at least 10% per annum and to ensure a growth of agricultural output of at least 6% annually. The majority of African countries, including Namibia, however, failed to achieve these goals despite signing up to the development principles.Given this situation, African heads of state in June 2014 adopted a new set of concrete agriculture goals to be attained by 2025. That was done at the AU summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.This new set of goals – the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods – is a more targeted approach to achieve the agricultural vision for the continent, which is shared prosperity and improved livelihoods. At this summit countries reconfirmed that agriculture should remain high on the development agenda of the continent, and is a critical policy initiative for African economic growth and poverty reduction.It refocused countries to the key principles and values of the CAADP process and recommitted them to allocate at least 10% of public expenditure to agriculture, and to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness, explains Wallie Roux, head of research at the Namibia Agriculture Union (NAU).“The Malabo Declaration reaffirmed the 2003 Maputo Declaration and the principles of CAADP, but also went beyond these to include steps towards inter alia ending hunger, halving poverty, increasing investment finance and enhancing trade.“Namibia again signed up to the Malabo Declaration, but the country’s CAADP process has stalled with the appointment of a CAADP country team. Hence to date agriculture has not yet received its required allocation in the national budget in accordance to these declarations,” Roux says.AFRICA’S DILEMMADr Kobus Laubscher, an independent agricultural economist, says recent leadership changes in many African countries, especially in the sub-Saharan region, will hopefully see, understand and treat agriculture better. “It is common course that almost all within the Southern African region suffers from huge developmental gaps towards fulfilment of the Millennium Objectives. One can rightfully argue that unfavourable weather and consequential adjustments following climate changes contributed to inabilities to more aggressively drive compliance. Conflict and subsequent political instability also play a role in widening the divide between the ideal and reality,” he says.However, he says, too many countries fail their commitment towards elevated growth in the sector because they underspent with regard to research and development. “Authentic project-based research is under-sourced and consequential losses in terms of competitiveness will confine many African countries to commodity suppliers.“Such conduct is best evidence of a lack of strategic vision for where agriculture should be heading. In the National Development Plan the intent is clear, but fulfilment may fall short of what could be possible, had budget allocation been more complementary. This boils down to insufficient provision to attain higher growth trajectories."Paul Strydom, general manager of the Meat Board of Namibia, cautioned that it is critical that public expenditure is allocated to where it will have an optimal impact on economic growth. “It should be allocated to where it would increase agriculture’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).“Agriculture is the key to rural stability and employment creation. It is a major foreign currency earner, but we don’t see it reflected in the budget allocation.”NAMIBIA FAILED John Mutorwa, who left the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry on Wednesday last week to take office as the new Minister of Works and Transport, confirmed to Market Watch that Namibia failed to honour its commitment under these declarations.Says Roux: “I believe the government does realise the importance of agriculture in the economy and development of Namibia, with reference to the accepted quote that more than 70% of the Namibian population is directly and indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods.“Evidence of this can be found in all of Namibia’s National Development Plans (NDP 1 to NDP 5) with the agricultural sector being part of each and every NDP.“Also true is that at the end of each NDP, reasons were given why the agricultural sector did not meet its set targets. “Thus, despite its policies and plans the government has failed to stimulate optimal production in the agricultural sector as a whole,” he concluded.

Agriculture reaps what it sowed

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Republikein 2025-04-07

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Agriculture reaps what it sowed

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