By Happy Mulolani
Despite the abundant resources that Africa is endowed with, the continent has been faced with several challenges, among them, access to markets, access to finance, and climate change, among others.
To offer solutions to the predicament African countries are faced with resulted in the actualisation of the Malabo Declaration in 2014. The Malabo declaration aim is to transform the agriculture sector. To enable the transformation and growth of the agriculture sector, The Malabo Declaration is anchored on seven pillars, which include; first, Recommitment to the principles and values of the CAADP process. Second, Enhancing investment finance in agriculture. Third, Ending hunger by 2025. Fourth, Halving poverty agriculture by 2025. Fifth, Boosting Intra-Africa trade in agricultural commodities and services. Sixth, Enhancing resilience to climate change and seventh, Enhancing mutual accountability for actions and results.
The pillars seek to collectively contribute to Africa’s agricultural transformation, poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
During the National Knowledge Management, Data capture, and monitoring/reporting Malabo commitments training workshop in Lusaka, Zambia from March 25 to 27, 2024 organised by Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) with financial support of the EU-funded CAADP-X4 Programme, Indaba for Agricultural Policy Research Institute Senior Researcher Auckland Kuteya, offered some insights into the implantation of the Malabo commitment, noting that Zambia had made strides in reviewing the National Agriculture Plan 2014-2018 to inform the formulation of the second National Agriculture Investment Plan (2NAIP).
“The lessons learnt were useful in the formulation of the Comprehensive Agricultural Transformation Support Programme (CATSP) and the NAIP which has already been validated,” Mr Kuteya said.
Auckland Kuteya, Senior Researcher, IAPRI
Mr. Kuteya said the major programmes under the 2NAIP/CATSP are already being implemented and are aligned to the Eighthly National Development Plan (2002-2026).
He also said a national technical working group was already constituted as well as trained and established the reporting process to help track activities in line with the Malabo declaration, adding that even data clusters were established to facilitate data collection and validation.
Mr. Kuteya explained that one of the pillars focused on achieving 10 percent allocation to the agriculture budget thereby making significant gains and also timely releases.
“The budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector has been steadily going up nominally,” said Mr. Kuteya.
Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock under Department of Policy and Planning Information Department Assistant Director Timothy Tonga stated that government has established a livestock breeding centre.
Timothy Tonga, Assistant Director, Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock
Mr. Tonga explained that government has invested US50million in aquaculture. The funds have also been made available to players in the value chain under the aquaculture seed fund.
“Farmers are accessing funds at 12 percent which is affordable meant to upscale their aquaculture activities,” he said.
Mr. Tonga noted that the increased investment in the aquaculture value chain is meant to promote more farmers embark on aquaculture, as it has attracted interest from Botswana.
And Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Principal Statistician Mweembwa Chijoka concurred that there was increased support to fingerlings production.
Mweembwa Chijoka, Principal Statistician, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
“There has been tremendous increase of fingerlings from over 200 million in 2020 to over 400 million in 2023,” Mr. Chijoka said.
He revealed that some neighbouring countries have shown interest and potential, which is a glimmer of hope given the increased market to produce and export.
While, to improve the seed system in Zambia, there is need to continuously support farmer communities to harness indigenous seeds.
As CIAT Zambia Country Representative Emily Banda acknowledges that though Zambia is regarded as having a good seed system, stating that Zambia is among the top three countries in Africa, there is need to embrace indigenous seed and also promote indigenous foods in communities.
Emily Banda, Country Representative, CIAT Zambia
And Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Youth Network Zambia Susanna Phiri says raising pasture must be prioritised in farming communities so that its available within communities to avoid depletion of grazing areas.
Susanna Phiri, Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Youth Network Zambia
Achieving the Malabo commitments in the long-term requires the participation of various players across sectors to work collaboratively in driving the agriculture agenda, only then will the transformation and growth of the agriculture sector be attained.
Authored by the Principal Agricultural Information Officer for the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS)