African agriculture performing poorly : FAO

African agriculture is performing poorly both in absolute and relative terms when compared to other developing regions of the world, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has said. FAO said that in some instances, the most malnourished are the farmers themselves.

In 2003-4, of the 53 countries in the world with food emergencies situations, 24 were from sub-Saharan Africa, the UN agency said. According to FAO, the estimated total number of the undernourished in Africa grew from 170 million to 203 million over the decade between 1990-1992 and 2000-2002, while declining in other developing regions, notably in Asia.

Edouard K. Tapsoba, FAO Regional Representative for Africa, indicated in his report to the African finance ministers conference on MGDs (millenium development goals) that in some countries the share of agriculture in national budgets was still less than 5 %.

"Africa was a net food exporter in the earlier years of independence in the 1960's.It was almost self-sufficient in cereals and even exporting small amounts of maize and sorghum. It was exporter of groundnuts. Where have Nigeria and Senegal's groundnuts pyramids of the 1960's and early 1970's gone?," Tapsoba asked African ministers who converged in Addis Ababa to discuss ways of achieving the UN-set MDGs.

"Not all African countries are at the same level of agricultural development, nor are they all progressing at the same pace. Some are doing better than others. But globally the situation remains one of serious concern," Tapsoba said. He indicated that African governments have a critical role to play to move the agriculture sector forward. "It is clear that at this stage of the development of most African countries, African governments have a critical role to play," he added.

AllAfrica.com