COMESA Region Land Under-utilised for Agriculture

21 July 2010, COMESA
URL: http://www.comesa.int/lang-en/component/content/article/34-general-news/481-comesa-region-land-under-utilised-for-agriculture

July 21, 2010

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has expressed regret that the level of land utilization for agricultural purposes in the region has remained low. Less than nine percent of the arable land is under cultivation and only four percent of available water, is used for agriculture.

Despite this, COMESA Secretary Sindiso Ngwenya has reiterated that the COMESA region has great agriculture potential and the sector remains the key engine of economic growth in the region. For most Member States, exports of agricultural commodities and products comprise the main source of export earnings. The region exports mainly maize, tobacco, groundnuts cotton, vegetables, fruits and flowers. Mr Ngwenya said the vast potential of the region needs to be supported by governments increasing investment in agriculture and adopting conducive policies. “It is quite evident from the available facts that over the years, there has been very little investment by both governments and development partners in agriculture,”

The Secretary General was speaking in Lusaka at the opening of the third meeting of the COMESA Ministers of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources. The Meeting was officially opened by the Zambian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Hon. Allen Mbewe.

He added that in order for COMESA Member States to be part of the green revolution, they should embark on modernization of agriculture through mechanization where possible and adoption of sound agronomic practices and giving peasant farmers title to land. He named the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) as one tool aimed at helping the region achieve food security, sustainable growth in agriculture and sector competitiveness.

The COMESA Secretariat has worked with Member States on the following undertakings; launching the CAADP process, conducting the stock-taking exercise in the agricultural sector, conducting evidence based analysis to identify priority investment plans with investment programmes, convening of the Roundtables and signing the Compacts. So far, six countries have signed the CAADP Compact. These are Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Uganda and Malawi.

The Meeting also noted that Conservation Agriculture is increasingly being seen as a promising alternative for coping with the need to increase food production on the basis of more sustainable farming practices. Conservation Agriculture specifically aims to address the problems of soil degradation resulting from agricultural practices that deplete the organic matter and nutrient content of the soil. It aims at higher crop yields and lower production costs through combating soil erosion, increasing soil water conservation and generally improving soil physical and chemical characteristics, hence soil fertility and high productivity.