By Prossy Nandudu
When Kenya eats Uganda’s maize and Uganda eats Kenya’s eggs at a fee, and Tanzania exports rice to Senegal, that could be termed as trade.
Although such transactions continue among African countries, the percentage remains low at just 15%.
That is why experts in the agriculture sector are calling for increased consumption of what is produced in Africa by Africans to increase such trade transactions.
When trade increases, there will be stimulated production which will in the long run reduce food imports into Africa.
According to Dr Agnes Kalibata, the President of AGRA Africa, intra-Africa trade is an African problem that is not being solved.
Kalibata made the remarks on the sidelines of the just concluded UNGA summit in New York, during a side event on the Food Forum.
“Why are we having intra-Africa trade at 15%, why are we competing where we shouldn’t be competing? We still have a competitive and comparative advantage in countries we can take advantage of,” said Kalibata.
To make it easier for members, she called for the management of challenges in trade such as infrastructure like the transport system, standards, and quality among others.
On her part, Kalibata said that her institutions are already working with different countries to increase production that can be traded across the continent.
Interventions in Africa include supporting farmers with quality seed to reduce rice imports and improving standards of grain trade in the region.
In Uganda, efforts are being channelled through the Grain Council of Uganda (TGCU) and the Uganda National Bureau of Standards in addition to training seed breeders through the National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO) among others.
She also called on member countries to find solutions to cross-border trade challenges, standards, transport networks, and legislations surrounding regional trade among others.
Her remarks were backed by a recent report, on the Africa Agriculture Status Report, which shows projections from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) which indicates that Africa’s annual food imports will increase from $15b in 2018 to $110b by 2025.
The report attributes this to the use of outdated farming practices and the low adoption rate of improved agricultural technologies which has contributed to low productivity.
Poor infrastructure in terms of roads, storage, and processing facilities limits access to markets and increases post-harvest losses among others.
The same report adds that intra-Africa trade will stimulate the production of a more diverse range of crops, which can lead to improved nutrition and food security.
Trade can also improve food security by allowing countries to import food when local supplies are insufficient or too expensive.
Her calls come against a backdrop of an increase in water scarcity, food insecurity, and climate change, to which the global community is now seeking urgent and innovative solutions.
According to the United Nations, almost two-thirds of the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity for at least one month each year, a situation that exacerbates food security challenges and impedes the achievement of sustainable development goals.
Additionally, political tensions, such as those between Russia and Ukraine over grain shipments, have brought into sharp focus the links between food security, water, and national security.
PHOTO CAPTION: Kenyan grain buyer shares results from moisture meeting with Ugandan grain producers in Sironko district. Photo by Prossy Nandudu
