Farmers in Africa are set to benefit from aid to boost the production of food across the continent. It comes as the continent faces a food crisis following the disruption in the supply of cereals including wheat and soya beans due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The African Development Bank has approved a 1.5 billion dollar grant to help farmers in Africa grow more food to feed themselves.
It’s been a difficult year for Africa as the continent tries to recover from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cost of goods and services have increased in the first quarter of the year amid hikes in global fuel prices.
Many countries in Africa rely on the import of wheat, maize, and soybeans and have been severely affected by the cut in supply because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Analysts say the continent will lose over 30 million tonnes of food imports that would have come from Russia and Ukraine. And the effect is that the price of food has gone up by an average of 45 percent since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started, according to analysts. And it could drive an additional 30 million Africans into acute food poverty.
The African Development Bank hopes to reverse the trend by supporting 20 million smallholder farmers across Africa with the 1.5 billion dollar African Emergency Food Production program.
Farmers will also be given certified seeds and access to agricultural fertilizers to help them boost food production.
It is hoped that about 38 million tons of food would be produced by the end of the two-year program.
AfDB aims to find solutions to Africa’s food insecurity amid Ukraine conflict:
Food crisis
With Africa short of 30 million tonnes of maize, wheat and soybeans. The African Development Bank says it will ramp up its resources to avert a looming food crisis in the continent.
African Development Bank Group CEO, Dr Akinwumi Adesina says, “We weren’t ready when we had COVID-19. We’re fully ready … Africa will not have food crisis. We don’t need begging bowl.”
That’s an assurance from the bank’s President Akinwumi Adesina who says they have set aside 1,5 billion US dollars to alleviate the plight of struggling African countries as a result of the Russia Ukraine conflict.
Adesina says this is a challenging period for Africa. “There is a plan for farmers and seed will be on the ground. We will produce tons of maize, soybeans and rice.”
The African Development Bank has also been instrumental in leading initiatives aimed at reviving economic growth like the interchange in Ghana. It will also ease traffic congestion between the capital city Accra and Kumasi.
The project manager says road users are quite pleased. Sheila Akyea says, “The project has changed the lives of the people here. Even the look and feel of the area. It’s better than what they used to have. Economic businesses are attracting people this place has changed from a rural area to an urban.”
Several heads of state are expected to attend the conference in the Ghanaian capital Accra.
There’s a great deal of anticipation and delegates are optimistic that the bank will succeed in uplifting the continent.
SABC News Khayelihle Khumalo reporting from Accra:
UN Security Council meets in open session on conflict and food insecurity:
