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| Conference maps strategies for African farmers to tap into US$150b market
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Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) -
Africa's leading authorities on agriculture and market d
evelopment meet in Nairobi, Kenya, this
week to examine the role of markets in increasing Africa’s economic growth and i
mproving rural livelihoods, organisers said.
Sponsored by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Intern
ational Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), with
support from over 17 organizations involved in the CGIAR Regional Plan for Colle
ctive Action, the conference will bring together experts
to discuss successes, challenges and opportunities that exist in Africa’s farm s
ector.
Participants will outline new strategies for opening up domestic and regional ma
rkets to African farmers, while at the same time improving their
livelihoods, and lowering food prices for urban consumers.
“New approaches are needed to create vibrant food markets in Africa,” said Ade F
reeman, Director for ILRI's Targeting and Innovation Program.
“African farmers can produce enough food to feed Africa, and help feed the world
. But first, governments must enact policies that support farmers’
ability to grow more food and provide access to markets that give farmers a good
price for their hard work, and consumers with food they can afford.”
According to statistics provided by AGRA, seven out of 10 Africans earn their li
ving by farming. According to researchers, the market for milk, meat,
and staple food crops like maize, banana, sorghum, rice and millet within Africa
is estimated at US$150 billion a year - far exceeding Africa’s market for
internationally traded cash crops like coffee, tea, and flowers.
A year of record high food prices presents a unique challenge and opportunity fo
r Africa. To benefit, African farmers must produce more food, but more
importantly, they must have access to markets to sell their harvests at prices t
hat benefit farmers and consumers.
For participants, improving farmers’ access to regional markets for staple food
crops within Africa is key to this transformation.
Only a tiny fraction of the food produced in the region is sold in regional mark
ets; the rest is either consumed on the farm or lost to pests or disease after h
a
rvest.
Meanwhile, Africa imports about 20 percent of the food it consumes, spending sca
rce foreign currency reserves. Regional markets therefore represent a large
and growing market that could offer growth opportunities for African agriculture
and farm income, and help reduce widespread hunger.
New research and innovations presented at the meeting will highlight strategies
that could help Africa produce and sell its own food at lower cost and take adva
n
tage
of new market opportunities offered by the global food crisis.
To become a food breadbasket with surplus for export, policies will be needed to
expand investments in rural roads, communications, farm storage, commodity exch
a
nges
and improvement in grades and standards.
Farmers will also need accelerated access to farm inputs, especially improved se
eds, fertilizers; livestock feed and small scale irrigation and integrated pest
m
anagement technologies.
A new paper by AGRA and its grantee CNFA will report on the impact that AGRA’s A
grodealer Development Program (ADP) has had with helping small retailers in rura
l
villages in Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mali reach out to smallholder farmers.
These agrodealers provide crucial inputs to farmers at affordable prices.
According to the report, the program has helped 4,264 agrodealers receive loans,
business management and technical training in Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania, which
has benefited
an estimated 1.8 million farmers.
An estimated US$42 million worth of improved seed, fertilizer, and other farm su
pplies have been sold through agrodealers in the last 12 months, representing an
increase of 15 percent
over the previous year.
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| Nairobi - 13/05/2009 |
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