{A total of 65% of Africa’s land is arable but statistics indicate that the continent spends Rwf 35 billion annually on food imports, an amount expected to rise in the future. }
The African Development Bank (AfDB) says it expects to invest USD 24 billion in agriculture in the next ten years as efforts to help Africa attain needed agricultural transformations to enable Africa be self food-reliant by 20150.
These were among the deliberations by experts and researchers at the opening of the Africa Agriculture Science Week in Kigali and General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) where they will as well seek ways of how technology can be used to boost agriculture.
The Premier Anastase Murekezi said that it is an opportunity for Africa to seek how science, technology and innovations can be used to accelerate agriculture and provide 65% of jobs in Africa.
“This sector is a great pillar Africa. It needs attention like other businesses other than being seen as a subsistence practice. Africa needs to use technology to improve agriculture through extensive farming,” he said.
He said that the government will to promote agriculture goes in connection with promoting science, technology and mathematics in schools as areas expected to be the foundation of needed transformations.
Murekezi requested Africa’s experts in Agriculture to seek the technology that is resilient to agricultural challenges including climate change, food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty.
The president of AfDB, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said that African continent has many opportunities of practicing modern agriculture which are not fully exploited leading to importing food from abroad.
“It is related to the fast increase of the population, climate change, rural areas are becoming unsafe places, limited growth opportunities, youth migrating to cities, some migrating to Europe and sometimes die along the way,” he said.
Adesina noted that that Africa cannot be safe as long as rural areas are not developed.
“Africa spends USD 35 billion annually on food imports and statistics indicate that money spent on food imports will reach USD 110 billion by 2050.Africa is importing what it should be cultivating. It is the creation of poverty in Africa and provide job opportunities abroad,” he said.
Adesina advised that agriculture should be transformed to make Africa a food basket and cash crops hub other than cultivating only food crops.
Dr Charity Kruger, FARA chairperson said that reforming agriculture is a one major way of improving African development and Africans’ livelihoods especially those from rural areas through joint efforts of all countries.
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