A new plan to modernise agriculture will be unveiled today during the second conference of Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) in Kigali. Rwanda which is a CAADP member becomes the first to implement the initiative across the continent and it’s in line with the Maputo declaration signed by Heads of State that requires partner states to allocate 10 per cent of the national budget to agriculture. The declaration was signed in 2003 in Mozambique with the aim of fighting food insecurity among the African countries. Key in the new plan is encouraging of private investment in the sector which is still low compared to the demand, according to Dr Agnes Kalibata the agriculture minister. “Few people are willing to invest in agriculture. We need to attract more investors in the sector so as to foster economic development,” she said on Friday. Experts believe that unless African countries apply various mechanisms like agricultural intensification to double food production, the continent will continue to suffer from food shortages. According to the minister, Rwanda currently allocates over 13.4 per cent of national budget to the agriculture sector and this has helped eliminate food insecurity. Over 300 participants including agricultural experts from the continent will attend the meeting themed: “Transforming Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods”. Participants will come from Ministries of Agriculture from African countries, the African Union Commission (AUC), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and other regional and international organisations. They will share knowledge and challenges of modernising agriculture on the African continent. Rwanda will also share its experiences with its regional and international partners. Established by the AU assembly in 2003, CAADP focuses on improving food security, nutrition and increasing incomes in Africa’s largely agricultural economies. It also aims at raising agricultural productivity by at least 6 per cent per year and increasing public investment in agriculture to 10 per cent of national budgets per year.
