Ruto “lectures” his fellow African leaders over food insecurity in the continent
Ruto challenges his fellow African leaders to focus on value addition in Agriculture during Feed Africa Summit in Senegal
Ruto challenges his fellow African leaders to focus on value addition in Agriculture during Feed Africa Summit in Senegal.
President William Ruto has urged other African leaders to expand the conversation on agriculture beyond output to include industry and value addition.
He claimed that Africa had the capacity to produce food in excess for export, emphasizing that this might increase revenue and provide jobs, particularly for young people.
President Ruto stated that these programs will change Africa while speaking on Wednesday at the Dakar 2 Summit – Feed Africa in Senegal.
“We should not be discussing food 60 years after independence.“
In a panel discussion of 10 Heads of State and Governments, President Ruto said the upscaling of agriculture in the continent would require the right input, technology, enhanced irrigation, and mechanization.
“Young people are also critical in the revival of our agriculture. Crucially, the greater the infusion of technology, the better the returns.”
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He issued a warning against relying too much on rain-fed agriculture, claiming that many African nations suffer from famine as a result.
The President argued that irrigation would ensure that Africa had enough food for both domestic use and export.
“There is no magic to enhanced agricultural production; more fertiliser use translates to more production.”
On his part, the African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina called on Africa to utilize its huge arable land to feed itself.
“What Africa does with agriculture today will determine the future of food security in the world,” he noted.
He said AfDB will invest Sh1.2 Trillion in the next five years to support food production in Africa.
“Africa must feed itself,” he said.
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