adminSifelani Tsiko Senior Writer
South Korea plans to double its funding support for the Africa food initiative aimed at promoting agricultural research to ease hunger and poverty among smallholder farmers, a project official has said.
Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Co-operation Initiative (KAFACI) deputy secretary general Mr Lee Keunpyo told The Herald in an interview recently that increased funding would enable agricultural researchers among its member states to develop innovative solutions that could improve crop yields.
“We want to double the grant to support African countries to enhance their food security position and improve crop yields for its farmers,” he said on the sidelines of the inaugural KAFACI meeting.
“We want to strengthen our level of co-operation with agricultural research institutions in Africa so that we can improve food production and fight poverty.”
However, Mr Keunpyo could not be drawn to disclose the figures but intimated that support could be doubled to nearly US$400 000.
“It is only after the KAFACI general assembly (currently underway) that we will have a clear position on the issue,” he said.
Zimbabwe is hosting the third General Assembly of the KAFACI to explore ways to enhance mechanisms to boost food security and fight poverty among member states. The Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (Sirdic) and the Rural Development Administration of Korea are jointly hosting the event which will run until Wednesday.
Delegates are drawn from 18 member states.
In a separate interview, Sirdic chief executive Prof Robson Mafoti urged agricultural research scientists in Africa to work together and share experiences to improve food security on the continent.
“Its critical because we need to learn from each other. Team work always brings the best out of human beings,” he said. “If people are food secure, you make them productive. You empower them to be self-sufficient.
“As agricultural research scientists we should have one common goal – we need to come with innovative technological solutions that will help our people to feed themselves.”
KAFACI is an intergovernmental and multilateral co-operation body that aims to improve food production, achieve sustainable agriculture and enhance extension services in member countries by sharing knowledge and information on agricultural technologies.
The South Korean government administers KAFACI through the Rural Development Administration (KDA).
The multilateral agency broadly aims to enhance the transfer of agricultural technologies and experiences to African countries.
KAFACI members include South Korea, Angola, Cameroon, Comoros, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, the programme financed a $150 000 three-year soya bean mechanisation project in Hwedza.
“African countries have the potential to increase food production because of good soils and other climatic conditions. However, agricultural technology development is still weak and we want to focus on technology that can help smallholder farmers to increase their crop yields.”
Online Reporter