By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
LACK of credit, land, quality farm inputs and machinery is among the main impediments which prevent agriculture from providing jobs in most African countries.
This is according to the hard-hitting report released at the on-going African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) being held in Lusaka on Wednesday by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
The report has stated that Africa will neither solve its chronic food shortages nor its urgent employment challenges without an immediate, aggressive effort to address the series of problems of lack of credit, land, quality farm inputs, machinery among other impediments.
“Lack of credit, land, quality farm inputs, machinery among other impediments is preventing agriculture from providing jobs on and off farm for a young population that accounts for about 60 per cent of the Africans and 19 per cent of the global youth,” the report stated.
The AGRA led-study is one of the most comprehensive reports to date on the topic and finds a direct connection between two of African most pressing agricultural challenges.
Commenting on the report, AGRA president Agnes Kalibata remarked that a continent with such a workforce needed to be the envy of the world.
Dr Kalibata who is former Rwanda minister of Agriculture and animal Resources said it was unfortunately that most Africans including, millions of farmers were relying on food imports to feed their families.
“And our growing population of young people who should be a treasured resource for economic growth are often labelled a ‘ticking time bomb’ for fear their lack of job prospects will generate instability,” she added.
The report has further warned that Africa’s agriculture sector which employs about 65 per cent of African workforce faces multiple challenges that could thwart efforts to capitalise on African consumers’ growing demand for food.
It implored African countries to resolve absence of a properly defined land rights tenure system, limited availability of new and innovative techniques such as machinery that is appropriate for the needs of African farmers.