COMESA members to implement agriculture policies

19 July 2010, Swazi Observer
URL: http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=14829

By Winile Masinga

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.

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.
This was during the official opening of the COMESA third joint meeting of Ministers of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources in Zambia (Lusaka) on Thursday, where Swaziland also took part.

Making his submission in the meeting, Minister of Agriculture Clement Dlamini highlighted that in March this year, Swaziland joined the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAAPD), and is now collaborating with the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in the post-compact analysis and development, updating and finalisation of the investment programmes.

He said this was in readiness for a fund raising conference. He also reported that the World Bank is focusing on value chain and policy harmonisation while WFP focuses on food security, nutrition and safety nets.

The FAO will cover and coordinate the overall programming of the country’s investment programme.

The two days meeting under the theme “Food Security, Agriculture Trade and Environment Protection”, attracted participants from all the COMESA member states and other cooperating partners like the Food Agriculture Organisation, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, and the Africa Development Bank (ADB) among others.
implementation

Secretary general Sindiso Ngwenya said effective implementation of the CAADP programme was important in achieving regional food security, sustainable agriculture growth and sector competitiveness.

The CAADP programme was an initiative of the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to address food security and agricultural production.
At the Swaziland CAADP Compact signing, Prime Minister, Dr Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini said the fact that his government had signed the compact re-affirms its commitment to developing the agriculture sector and sustainably reducing hunger in the Kingdom. He added that the goals of CAADP were in harmony with the National Development Strategy (NDS) which was crafted in 1997 to guide the strategic socio-economic development of the country over a 25-year period.

The CAADP process was also seen fit to further enhance the implementation of the poverty Reduction Strategy and Action Programme in Swaziland.

Swaziland, like many other countries in Africa, is determined to reduce poverty and increase livelihood sources for rural people, hence the development of the Swaziland Poverty Reduction Strategy in 2001.

The Strategy underscores the need to safeguard the natural environment to ensure long–term growth and development, and advocates for implementation of policies that prevent further environmental degradation and ecosystems losses.