Africa Should Invest In Agriculture Instead Of Spending $50 Billion/Year On Imports

Addressing delegates at the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (Sacau) annual meeting in Victoria Falls, President Emmerson Mnangagwa challenged Africa to invest more in Agriculture. Said Mnangagwa,

It is regrettable that African countries spend between $30 billion and $50 annually on imports of agricultural products, instead of developing the productive capacities necessary for trade. This reality gives greater impetus for us all, governments, unions, farmers and private sector alike, to invest in agriculture to produce for our own needs within the continent as well as for export outside Africa.  I urge you all not to only have a better appreciation of the regional, continental and global trade agreements that have implications on intra-regional trade promotion, but to also cascade the knowledge and perspectives from this conference to other quotas of the farming communities such as small-scale and communal farmers.

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