African ministers chart path for agricultural transformation

African Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture are meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to chart the way forward for the next decade of agricultural transformation on the continent.

The African Union (AU) Joint Conference holding from April 28–May 2, 2014 aims to highlight the importance of agriculture as a vehicle for economic growth and poverty eradication.

This conference will also take steps towards finalising strategies that will catalyse African-led solutions for African problems through agriculture and the rural sector for the next 10 years.

The theme for the meeting is: “Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods through Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.”

“Agriculture has been showing a growth performance of about 4% per annum over the last decade of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), this is indicative that agriculture and the rural sector are at the centre of the transformation agenda”, said AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Tumusiime Rhoda Peace during her opening remarks.

“The decision of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government to commemorate 2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security and marking the 10th Anniversary of the Adoption of CAADP, provides us all with a unique opportunity to engage ourselves in an exercise of honest assessment and reflections of the progresses made thus far, the lessons we have learnt, and chart clear set of goals and targets for implementation in the next decade in a context of transformative agenda to get rid of hunger, malnutrition and poverty from our continent”, she added.

Officially opening the conference, Wondirad Mandefro, State Minister of Agriculture of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, represented by Mr.Zena Habtewold, the Ministry’s Director, Planning and Programming, said, “CAADP has played a crucial role in improving coordination among various players on agriculture strategy development and mobilizing resources to support development endeavours.”

 

The five day meeting aims to finalise consensus on strategic goals and improved coordination of programmes linking agriculture and rural development and strengthening policy and institutional capacities for advancing agricultural transformation.