Call to nurture shoots of Africa's agriculture

Partner nations can help continent's farmers mechanize, learn more about agribusiness

Politicians and researchers in Africa are calling for more collaboration with partner nations, especially China, to unlock the potential of the continent's agricultural sector.

Africa has vast swaths of land suitable for agriculture, yet yields are on average just one-third those achieved by farmers in Asia and Latin America.

The continent, which has an estimated 25 percent of the world's arable land, contributes just 10 percent of the global agricultural output, relying heavily on imports to feed its people.

According to Trade Map, an online database for international trade, African nations imported a combined $94 billion in agricultural products in 2013 compared with total exports of $60 billion.

By contrast, China produces enough to feed 20 percent of the global population with just 7 percent of the world's arable land, according to statistics from the World Bank.

Niale Kaba, the Cote D'Ivoire's minister for planning and development, says Africa needs to industrialize its agricultural sector, which is already the backbone of many economies, contributing in some nations up to 40 percent of GDP.

She calls on partner nations to help Africa acquire mechanized farming systems to increase yields and offer training opportunities in agribusiness to its farmers.

"Aid in agricultural development is a critical component of overall development and food security for many African countries," Kaba says.

For the sector to grow in a sustainable way, she says it is necessary to inspire young people to engage in farming, which is best done by using modern farming technology.

"Youth unemployment is high in the continent. In Cote D'Ivoire, 70 percent of the population are young people, most of who prefer to work outside the agricultural sector. If this segment is provided an opportunity and the assistance needed to move into commercial farming, it could play a critical role in improving productivity," she adds.

A report by the International Food Policy Research Institute says that if farmers used technology to cut production times and increase yields, food prices could be reduced significantly: up to 49 percent for maize, 43 percent for rice and 45 percent for wheat.

The technologies and techniques that could have the highest impact in developing countries include no-till farming, nitrogen-use efficiency and heat-tolerant crops.

Baitsi Podisi, the research and advisory services coordinator at the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa, says transferring technology from China to African nations would greatly improve the sector.

He says most farmers depend on traditional methods, making the sector less productive than it could be.

"The technology transfer can be facilitated through conferences with agricultural NGOs," he suggests. "China can also provide capacity funding and equipment to NGOs, so that they can disseminate information to smallholder farmers at the grassroots."

Another area that needs attention is research and development. R&D in Africa has historically lagged behind, he says, adding that despite its importance in getting projects off the ground, few resources have been dedicated to R&D.

"Due to the financial constraints, African researchers don't get opportunities to travel to developed countries so that they can get exposure to new technology or interact and learn from counterparts in those countries," he says.

Podisi believes that there should be exchange programs, with African farmers visiting China to get firsthand experience, and Chinese farmers going the other way to learn about prevailing conditions and to train farmers on how to boost productivity.

"There's a dire need to mobilize resources for more research as well as to strengthen institutions and knowledge to address land degradation," he says.

According to a report by the Montpellier Panel, a group of African and European agriculture experts, an estimated 180 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are affected by land degradation, with damaged soil resulting in a loss of about $68 billion.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

( China Daily Africa Weekly 09/02/2016 page27)