Africa's failure to increase agricultural budget hampers agric growth

Most African countries continue to face growing
threats of hunger because they have not fulfilled
their 2003 pledge to increase support for small-
holder farmers, especially for women who do
much of the farming on the continent.
In a report this month, the international aid
agency ActionAid, warned African governments,
that unless they provide more money for
agriculture and make sure it goes to smallholder
farmers, hunger will continue to increase across
the continent.
The report "Walking the Talk," highlights the
failure of African countries in keeping their
promise made ten years ago, under the 2003
Maputo Declaration, to devote ten percent of their
national budgets to agriculture. And going
forward they point out that while African
governments have designated 2014 as the "Year
of Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Security,"
the true meaning of the phrase will remain empty
unless they provide more money for agriculture.
"Ten years down the line, it is amazing to see that
not more than about nine countries have been
able to meet that declaration in terms of
implementing those targets that were set,
because the governments in Maputo said they
would invest ten percent and anticipate that there
would be six percent annual growth within the
agricultural sector," explained David Adama,
coordinator of finance for agriculture for
ActionAid in Abuja.
After examining the extent of government
spending on agriculture in seven African
countries, ActionAid found that for example, in
Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda,
Nigeria, and Zambia, it was found that none of
these countries consistently met the ten percent
spending target.
Unfortunately Adama said that countries are
saying there are too many competing interests,
such as military spending, for example.
Failure to meet those pledges impacts the small-
holder farmers productivity significantly, said the
ActionAid coordinator, who referenced a report
by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, FAO, on the potential of women
farmers.
"This clearly points out that if women are given
equal access to land, seeds, as their male
counterparts, we can reduce hunger in the world
by 140-million people, which is about 17% of
people who are living hungry," he explained.
Adama emphasized that the government needs
to reprioritize public investment and focus on
agriculture that benefits small-holder farmers.
In the same vain, small-holder farmers need to
cooperate, with the help of civil society
organizations, and farmer organizations, with the
government. This involves becoming engaged in
the policy making process, and making sure the
government recognizes the need to include them
in their budgeting and decision-making
processes.
Adama said if small-holder farmers are engaged
at this level, then even with the little money they
are receiving from the government, their needs
can still be met.
Africa