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Showing posts with label public investments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public investments. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

10% public investments in agriculture still low – CAADP official

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has said that the current public investments of 10 per cent in agriculture, across Africa’s national budgets remain small.

This is coming as agriculture is reportedly back on the political-policy agenda across the continent, although the 10 per cent budget allocation to agriculture remains inadequate.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that CAADP's goal is to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty through agriculture and as a way of achieving this goal, African governments agreed to increase public investment in agriculture by a minimum of 10 per cent of their national budgets and to raise agricultural productivity by at least 6 per cent by the year 2015.

Speaking, however, in Addis Ababa recently, the Head, NEPAD Mr. Martin Bwalya, told a high-level session of African leaders and International partners, that the 10 per cent national budget allocation to agriculture is still very low, despite “Agriculture is back to the political-policy agenda.”

Also, he said, that as ways of aadvancing CAADP implementation strategies in the last 10 years there are some key results that have impacted on the initiative, namely that 43 out of 54 countries are actively engaged in the process.

Additionally, he said that 28 investment plans have been developed so far with 27 business meetings held while 31 countries seemed compacted to the scheme.

Proffering further sustainable modules, he said that spotlights on the social protection integral to a growth and development agenda are no longer negotiable, just as cconsistent and coherent African vision, agenda and positions could serve as a boost to democratic governments and improved public finances-revenue, thereby seeing to improved planning for CAADP.

Urbanization across Africa is expected to grow to 50 per cent by 2013, while youthful population, that is 40 per cent for ages under 23 years, even as globalisation based on food and energy prices as well as climate change must be tackled to make a difference.

Further, he pointed out that growing political commitment to increased budgetary allocations was another boost for CAADP initiative, emphasising that regional integration and coordination based on evidence-based and peer-reviewed agricultural plans and programmes would go a long way in checkmating the food insecurity in Africa.

“Poverty, hunger and malnutrition are one of the most critical factors pulling down Africa socio-economic growth and development,” he observed.

Remmy Nweke
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