KIGALI - African countries signatory to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Programme (CAADP) and development partners have vowed to recommit to the principles of eliminating poverty by accelerating agricultural development.

At the end of the two-day CAADP Post-Compact meeting yesterday, African states agreed to follow Rwanda’s commitment to implement the programme while the donor platform agreed to fund country-led approaches.

CAADP, adopted in 2003 and spearheaded by the African Union-NEPAD, fronts agriculture as a major platform for fighting poverty and achieve the MDG 1 of eliminating hunger, setting agricultural growth at least 10 percent and economic growth at 6 percent.

The continental meeting hailed Rwanda’s progress in the sector and strategies put in place to sustain agriculture production, maintain food security and support nutrition initiatives.

Participants visited a number of agricultural projects including horticulture, crop intensification and land consolidation programmes in Rwanda.

Officiating at the closing ceremony, Prime Minister Bernard Makuza reiterated the need to transform the sector and called upon CAADP countries and development partners to walk the talk by undertaking ‘real actions’ to ensure food security.

He noted that development partners should recommit to support infrastructure development, especially in rural areas, and land consolidation programmes.

"Rwanda is committed to the CAADP and we are eager to be the first African country to bring the CAADP programme to its completion,” pledged Makuza.

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