The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is calling for increased investment in irrigation to reduce its dependence on rainfall and boost food production.
Speaking at a high-level SADC Food Systems Transformation Policy Dialogue in Durban, SADC’s head of agriculture, Duncan Samikwa, said low agricultural productivity remains one of the biggest threats to food security.
He said the region is encouraging member states to expand irrigation infrastructure, so farmers can maintain production during dry periods.
The call comes as SADC prepares for the possibility of a severe El Niño season, which could bring hotter and drier conditions across the region.
“So, the ministers came up with a number of strategies. They are saying we should increase our domestic production in SADC as well as use materials to improve our soil fertility. We believe if we increase the use of fertilisers as well as irrigation we might change the situation. SADC is endowed with a lot of resources yet our investment in irrigation is low and in the next few years we hope to increase irrigation so that we just don’t depend on rain fed agriculture.”
