COMESA ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL FOR PROGRAMMES STEPHEN KARANGIZI HAS CALLED ON MEMBER STATES TO ADOPT CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE STRATEGIES TO AVOID THE CONSEQUENCES OF FOOD SECURITY IN THE REGION.
SPEAKING TODAY DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE REGIONAL CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE MEETING AND STUDY TOUR TODAY IN LUSAKA MR. KARANGIZI NOTED THAT THE REAL REVOLUTION IN AFRICAN AGRICULTURE WILL HAPPEN WHEN AGRICULTURE IS EMBRACED AS A MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION MECHANISM TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
HE STRESSED THAT THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION AS TO WHY AFRICA CAN NOT AIM FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THESE PLEDGES TO SUPPORT ITS OWN ADAPTATION NEEDS IN AGRICULTURE ADDING THAT MITIGATION OF AFRICAN AGRICULTURE CAN CONTRIBUTE AT LEAST ANOTHER $10BILLION ANNUALLY.
SPEAKING AT THE SAME FUNCTION, EUROPEAN UNION CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMME OFFICER STEPHANIE ROUSSEAU DISCLOSED THAT THE EU TODAY UNDER THE FARMER INPUT SUPPORT RESPONSE INITIATIVE IMPLEMENTED BY THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND COOPERATIVES HAS RELEASED ABOUT 16MILLION EUROS.
MRS. ROUSSEAU ADDED THAT ANOTHER 11MILLION EUROS IS EARMARKED FOR CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE PROJECTS FROM 2012.
MEANWHILE, AGRICULTURE AND COOPERATIVES PERMANENT SECRETARY ABEDNEGO BANDA HAS OBSERVED THAT THE REGION IS CURRENTLY FACING A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES SUCH AS LOW AGRICULTURE PRODUCTIVITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REVERSE THE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC GAINS.
HE HOWEVER POINTED OUT THAT IN ORDER FOR THE REGION TO REACH THE 1.2MILLION FARMERS WITH CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE MEMBER STATES DEVELOP POLICIES THAT SUPPORT THE UP SCALING OF CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE.
published by augustine
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