Private sector intervention in agric critical - Minister

Mr Clement Kofi Humado, Minister of Food and Agriculture said on Thursday the private sector is required to intervene in the agricultural sector in ensuring hunger-free and poverty-free Africa.

He said for African farmers to make any significant impact in guaranteeing self-reliance and broader food security for the continent, farmers need support to work together.

The minister said this in a speech read on his behalf at the 2013 Africa Farmer organisation awards, organised by the African Investment Climate Research (AFRICRES), in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and Regional Farmer Organisations in Africa.

The awards anchored by the theme: “Farmer Organizations in Africa: Strengthening Information-Sharing and Partnerships” is a unique programme designed to reward and promote successful farmer organisations in the continent. Mr Humado appealed to private sector players to see agriculture as a viable business and take advantage of all the opportunities it offers to invest in the sector.

He said the investment support of strategic stakeholders like AGRA and AFRICRES, and the impact such interventions were making, should motivate others enough to invest in the sector towards achieving hunger-free and poverty-free continent, particularly, for the rural poor.

“Ladies and gentlemen, nothing can be more rewarding than the private sector and the donor community supporting our poor rural smallholder farmers and their organisations through agricultural investment, and technical and financial incentives at all levels to be able t impact the lives of millions the poor across the continent,” he said.

This event honoured farmer organizations in five main categories such as governance, accountability and professional capacity, income diversity, female and youth participation, advocacy and market access.

At the end of the event, IMPABRUTA organisation in Rwanda was crowned the over-all Africa farmer organisation. All winners in the various categories received prices.

Dr Kwasi Ampofo, head of AGRA Ghana explained that the organisation was a not-for-profit one formed in 2006 to work with African governments, farmers, donors, Non-Governmental Organisations and the private sector to reduce hunger and poverty in Africa targeting resource poor farmers.