Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Herald Correspondent
A VIRTUAL joint meeting of SADC senior officials and Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Food Security, Fisheries, and Aquaculture being hosted by Zimbabwe is deliberating on critical issues affecting food security, agricultural development and the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture within the region.
This comes after a week-long SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) conference held in Harare.
The SADC senior officials meeting commenced on Monday with the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Professor Obert Jiri chairing.
The meeting ends today.
It will be followed by the Ministers meeting that will be held on Friday. The discussions are focusing on the effects of climate in the 2024/2025 season, livestock diseases outbreaks, rise in food prices and covering progress on harmonising fertiliser regulations, plant health strategies and seed systems.
“The meeting of senior officials kicked off this morning with us looking at various issues, including the food situation in SADC and also the agri-value chain situation in SADC,” said Prof Jiri.
“We are also looking at the water situation and the other value chains such as rice, potatoes and soybean.
“So, the meeting really is looking at those submissions which affect our food situation in SADC and its member states. We will make recommendations to the ministers’ meeting, which will happen on Friday.”
The draft agenda for the ministers meeting highlights an ambitious and comprehensive roadmap to address pressing challenges, drive regional integration and promote sustainable development.
The ministers will review the current state of food and nutrition security in the region, assess the performance of the 2024/25 rainfall season and discuss the outlook for the 2025/26 agricultural production season.
These discussions aim to inform strategies to mitigate food insecurity risks and adapt to climate variability.
A major focus will also be the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy.
The meeting will explore strategies to strengthen regional value chains and these include the development of a SADC Rice Development Strategy and positioning the SADC soybean value chain for export to China while promoting regional integration and industrialisation.
The ministers will deliberate on initiatives to protect and sustainably use plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
This includes promoting seed fairs and festivals across member states and supporting the rescue of endangered germplasm and improving the operations of National Plant Genetic Resource Centres (NPGRCs).
The meeting will review progress on implementing the SADC Genetic Conservation and Utilisation Strategy and the Regional Livestock Development Programme.
It will analyse the state of fisheries and aquaculture in the SADC region, focusing on the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food systems and livelihoods.
Key projects include the PROFISHBLUE initiative to enhance fisheries governance and blue economy trade corridors, as well as plans for improving fisheries monitoring and surveillance through the Monitoring Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC).
The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA) will present updates on several initiatives, including the establishment of a SADC Hub for the Soil Initiative for Africa and member states’ contributions to CCARDESA and a business case for new annual funding support.
The meeting reflects SADC’s commitment to fostering regional cooperation to address shared challenges, including food insecurity, environmental degradation, and economic development.
The outcomes of the meeting are expected to pave the way for enhanced collaboration among member states, aligning with the region’s long-term vision for sustainable growth and prosperity.
