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Edgar Vhera-Agriculture Specialist Writer
AFRICA must graduate from being content with just attaining food security and move to autonomy in an environment characterised by production and supply disruptions caused by climatic factors, economic downturns, disease pandemics and conflicts, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said on Wednesday.
He was opening the 20th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme partnership platform meeting held jointly with commemoration of the 15th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security in Harare.
The four-day conference that ends today started on Tuesday and is running under the theme: “Two decades of CAADP agenda: Cultivating the nexus of nutrition, agrifood systems and education for Africa’s growth.”
“As we commemorate the ADFNS, we must acknowledge that food security encompasses the availability, accessibility, affordability, use and suitability of food. In Africa, where millions still face hunger and malnutrition, our commitment to ensure food and nutrition security is more crucial than ever,” he said.
The continent needed to scale up production of traditional grains, which were naturally bio-fortified to tackle malnutrition.
Africa was affected by the El Nino-induced drought and for Zimbabwe, it was the worst in the past 43 years causing a 72 percent decline in cereal production.
Government implemented a winter production plan targeting 850 000 tonnes of irrigated winter cereals and with the current wheat crop expected to account for 600 000 tonnes of the total. It was planted on over 121 000 hectares under the wheat-based food security strategy.
“We have a comparative advantage in wheat production during winter with high average yields of over 5 tonnes per hectare. We can sell the surplus wheat and import maize or better still put it in our strategic grain reserves for future consumption,” added Dr Masuka.
The country requires 360 000 tonnes of wheat annually on previous demand and is now in the third year of self-sufficiency and surplus. The Government sees local consumption rising as the grain is now longer limited by imports.
Dr Masuka said the winter cereal harvest would be enough to meet requirements and feed 62 percent of the population, all of them residing in rural areas and providing one meal a day to some 4,5 million school learners till March next year when the next harvest is expected.
Government has moved from social welfare interventions of the past, which were premised on giving people food without capacitating them and now is giving the “rod and not the fish” under the productive social investment programme.
One of these programmes is the climate smart agriculture practice known as Pfumvudza/Intwasa, which benefits 1,8 million households and over 3 million farmers.
Maize production under Pfumvudza/Intwasa increased by 2,5 times that achieved under conventional practices while it even trebled yields for sorghum.
“Under Pfumvudza/Intwasa, each individual household is given US$100 worth of inputs to produce a tonne of maize, which at the current price will result in an income of US$390, a great return only in eight months.
“Government is building 35 000 village business units, which are solar powered with drip irrigation,” Dr Masuka said. With 60 percent of the beneficiaries being women and youths would also be empowered in 4 800 youth business units, marginalised groups were coming to the fore..
The programme advocates a 10 percent of national budgetary allocations to be channeled to agriculture.
Dr Masuka said: “Many governments are off-track in terms of commitments, allocating below 10 percent of fiscal resources to agriculture annually. Our commitment to CAADP must translate into actionable and practical programmes to enhance agricultural productivity, ensure food security, and promote sustainable practices and to develop the Africa we want.”
Africa food imports are between US$80 to US$100 billion annually.
Online Reporter