President of Kenya, Dr William Ruto has expressed confidence that the African economy could be transformed if the continent adopts modern agriculture technologies in farming.
President Ruto stated this at the opening of the African Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT) organized by the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) in collaboration with Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
He said initiatives such as ACAT help to strengthen the continent’s collective resolve towards greater adoption and use of agricultural technologies in the quest to increase food and nutrition security in the African continent.
The Kenyan President who was represented by the Cabinet Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Hon. Mithika Linturi, expressed disappointment that the African continent is inherently food insecure with an increasing population and high poverty levels. He said the situation is further complicated by low agricultural productivity, natural resources degradation, negative effects of climate change, and weak market linkages.
He, however, said “I firmly believe that the current low productivity characterizing Kenya’s agricultural sector and that of Africa can be transformed through the adoption of new technologies and innovations. These are essential for offering Africa resilience and global competitiveness.
In his remarks, Nigeria’s Former President, His Excellency Dr Goodluck Jonathan regretted that Africa, with its immense agricultural potential, is home to over 60 percent of the world’s arable land, yet, it is still grappling with food insecurity and the vagaries of climate change including pests and diseases.
He said the path to agricultural resilience and food security lies in the effective and innovative use of technology.
Furthermore, the Nigerian ex-president maintained that innovation must be part of the continent’s resolute course to reshaping its agricultural outlook that should help farmers to adopt new approaches to effectively withstand or overcome the myriad of challenges that currently bedevils the sector.
“It is by being creative and innovative that we as a people and a continent can bestow on ourselves well secure food, nutrition and economic prosperity,” Jonathan said.
He said Innovation in agriculture is not optional, rather it is a necessity. “The world’s population is growing, and with it, is the demand for food. Climate change poses threats to our traditional agricultural practices. We need innovations that will ensure we continue producing what we like in good volumes by making our production system(s) more efficient, sustainable, and climate-smart,” Jonathan added.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then