The
minister of Agriculture has underscored the need to shift towards mechanisation
in farming, acknowledging that without farm mechanisation it will be difficult
to meet our target in food production much more add value to our products.
Amie
Fabureh was speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the Malabo
Montpelier Forum held at a local hotel in Kotu on Tuesday.
She
made it clear that crop production should be linked to the value change for
farmers to benefit, further encouraging private sector to involve and invest
more in the agricultural sector.
“Without
private sector involvement it will be difficult; because we need partnership
and presently the government is trying to have projects that will address the
value chain. We need to improve on our irrigation system at Sapu because we
have fresh water and sustainability become challenge among farmers and that one
has to be addressed,” she added.
Minister
Fabureh observed that the private sector is a key partner in national
development, highlighting that government alone cannot do it, thus the need for
more partnership.
She
hinted that the ministry is engaging other sectors to see to it that food
production in the country is enhanced as we have more women farmers.
“We
have to support and look at their rice value chain from the production to the
table”.
The
ministry, she said, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in order to contract 200 farmers to enhance
their market.
Ousmane
Badiane, co-chair of Malabo Montpelier panel, disclosed that the promising
energy related strategies, policies and technologies emerging across Africa’s
agricultural value chain has both successes and challenges in improving the
rural poor’s access to energy and are part of a broader agriculture sector
transformation.
This,
he said apart from drawing on the government actions of six Africa countries
that were identified as leaders within this space, also makes recommendation
for policy and programme interventions that can be replicated across the
continent to accelerate this progress.
The
Malabo Montpelier panel convened 17 leading African and international experts
in agriculture, ecology, nutrition and food security to facilitate policy
choices by African governments so as to accelerate progress towards food
security and improved nutrition in Africa.