Africa should prioritise soil health to boost agricultural productivity and address food insecurity, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has advised.
Mudavadi said the continent must take decisive steps in improving soil health while mitigating fertiliser-related contributions to climate change.
Mudavadi was speaking on the second day of the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit at the KICC in Nairobi.
He said all African Union (AU) Member States should urgently embark on implementing policies and strategies that will ensure the continent remains food secure.
Mudavadi said low agricultural productivity, food insecurity and land degradation remain the key challenges hampering Africa’s ability to provide sustainable food and nutrition to its people.
He said decisive steps to sustainably increase agricultural productivity must be taken as part of measures aimed at unlocking the economic potential of the continent.
He underscored the integral role of soil health, prudent use of agricultural inputs and technologies, and environmental conservation can play towards achieving sustainable agricultural development.
“Africa has set multiple goals under the Agenda 2063, and increase of agricultural productivity and production goals must focus on environmentally sustainable and climate resilient production, improved water productivity and security, biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management,” Mudavadi said.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary assured the participants of Kenya’s commitment and collaboration towards achieving the set objectives of the Nairobi declaration action plan.
“Collective efforts to effectively address the already dire food security situation in Africa is critical at this time and moment,” he remarked.
He said Kenya has embarked on a programme to boost its agricultural sector by providing small-scale farmers with subsidised fertiliser at half commercial prices.
“All AU Member States should figure out how to boost farmers activities by ensuring that priority is given to farmers with farm inputs being at the centre stage even as we work towards measures of addressing the effects of climate change,” he emphasised.
Mudavadi further highlighted the role being played by the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) that serves as the framework for action for agricultural transformation across Africa since 2003.
He said CAADP, an AU initiative, supports member states in increasing investment and productivity of the agricultural sector.
