COMESA challenged over effective agro policies
15 July 2010, Zambia News & Information Services
URL: http://www.zanis.org.zm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5004&Itemid=109
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Lusaka………Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) member states have been challenged to implement effective agriculture policies that would aid in reducing poverty levels in the regional bloc.
Agriculture and Co-operatives Minister Peter Daka said this is because at regional level the agriculture sector was key in promoting and enhancing food security.
Mr. Daka said this in a speech read for him by his deputy Allan Mbewe during the official opening of the COMESA third joint meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources in Lusaka on Thursday.
He noted that the Agriculture sector also contributed positively to the realisation of foreign exchange earnings or savings and creation of employment opportunities for the people within the region.
He stated that despite playing all the above critical tasks, the sector in the COMESA region was still faced with a number of challenges such as rural poverty, environmental degradation and climate change which have delayed its development.
Mr. Daka added that this was why there was need for member states in the region to quickly implement key resolutions made during the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) meeting held in Zimbabwe last year.
He however, disclosed that Zambia has made significant progres in the finalisation of the CAAPD compact which is expected to be signed before the end of this year.
The Minister emphasised on the need for COMESA countries to use the CAAPD programme and foster regional development hence attracting investments that could be beneficial towards regional integration.
And Mr. Daka further called for concerted efforts from all member states in the mitigation and adaptation of effective climate change programmes by having a common position aimed at addressing its effects.
COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya disclosed that the agriculture sector had been under utilised in the region regardless of it acting as an engine for economic growth.
Mr.Ngwenya said it was for this reason that effective implementation of the CAAPD programme was important to achieving regional food security, sustainable agriculture growth and sector competitiveness.
He further advised COMESA countries to adopt good agricultural practices such as conservation farming that has proved to be an alternative for coping with the need to increase food production thereby reducing poverty levels in the region.
The two days meeting under the theme “Food Security, Agriculture Trade and Environment Protection”, has attracted participants from all the 19 COMESA member states and other cooperating partners like the Food Agriculture Organisation, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, and Africa Development (ADB) Bank among others.
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