"Strategies for increased food crop production in Africa"

The last few months has seen turbulent period in terms of the ability of the world to produce enough food for its inhabitants.

Quite a lot has been said about the situation. But people we do not seem to be hearing much from are the experts. Could it be that they have not been speaking the language that the global phenomenon at hand currently demands?

Well, one such expert, Dr Lamin Marena, has been involved in agricultural development for quite a long time. Dr Marena sees a relationship between the period of some 20 years ago and what we are going through today. We here reproduce a paper he presented at that time, entitled: "Strategies for increased food crop production in Africa," which he delivered at the international symposium on "the role of biology in resolving the food crisis in Africa" held in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, in July 1989. A recent major FAO study, "African agriculture: the next 25 years", has identified six main causes of the present food and agricultural crisis in Africa. 

The causes are the following:
- A bias against agriculture in government policy;
- High population growth rates;
- A decline in the rate at which arable land and harvested area are being developed;
- A lack of technological change, which is leading to a widespread stagnation or even decline in crop yields;
- Accelerated degradation of the environment; and
-  External economic environment that is making it more and more difficult for most

African countries to balance their budgets. The strategies recommended by the study for improving the situation includes sound government policies and programmes; conservation of natural resources and improvements of institutions, input supply, infrastructure and incentives. An extremely important consideration is the political will and the high priority accorded to all aspects of food crop development, including research, extension, production, marketing, etc, and backed by adequate investment in the food sub-sector. Some of the main technological disciplines relevant to food crop production are reviewed viz: plant breeding and seed production; plant protection; soil management; irrigation and mechanisation, including their present constraints, shortcomings and potential.  various reorientation are suggested.  

For instance, in crop improvement they consist of:
1. Giving more attention to pest-resistance and tolerance of adverse growing conditions aimed at yield stability;
2. Short duration cultivar;
3. Traditional staple food crops such as sorghum, millet and root crops and post-harvest technology.

In plant protection, weed control and integrated pest management are singled out. In irrigation, it is suggested that smaller-scale irrigation schemes with the full involvement of the local beneficiaries, offers good prospects of increasing food production. In spite of its technical and economic problems, or because of them, mechanisation deserves greater attention because it can play an important role in increasing food production per hectare and per worker.

Soil degradation and desertification are now major constraints to crop production in Africa.  Therefore, greater emphasis should be placed on soil management and fertility studies to create an ecologically sustainable system of food production.

Single practices, even when effective, can usually at best provide only small increases in yield over traditional farming and therefore have very little impact.  A strategy based on appropriate packages of complementary production practices including improved varieties, good seed, appropriate fertilisation, plant protection, efficient weed control, general good husbandry, etc. are necessary to give spectacular yields that range up to several hundred per cent.  

The latter is essential, at least in the early stages of development. Success in increasing food production also depends on the existence of the essentials of agricultural development which include the fooling:
* Assured markets for farm products;
* Constantly changing production technology;
* Local availability of farm supplies and equipment embodying the new technology;
* Production incentives of farmers, including remunerative prices, favourable land tenure, extension, credit, marketing facilities, etc;
* Road networks and transportation to connect farms with markets for farm products and outlets for farm inputs.

Complementarily is so high among the essentials that all of them must be present in given locality and develop in harmony before a real impact on food production is evident. In this connection, the paper reviews the various essential agricultural supporting services, including farmers’ organisation, and has made suggestions regarding overcoming some of the constraints confronting them.

Finally, Africa is characterised by a great diversity of agro-ecological, technological, social, economic and political situations in different countries.  Therefore, even though the general principles concerning strategies to adopt for increasing food production are valid, there is no blueprint for development.  These strategies will have to be adapted to the needs and circumstances of each country or region.

I would merely like to add the following:
* The importance of adopting a holistic approach to agricultural development
* Lessons could be learnt from some Asian countries: first and foremost, it is vital to give top priority to the generation of improved technologies for farmers, through research working closely with them, and with the extension services.

New technology must be backed by various effective agricultural support services without which research can make only little contribution to agricultural productivity and production.  This  is recently echoed by professor  Jeffrey Sachs, the American economist special adviser to the UN secretary general, when he said in Kenya that "many farmers obtain the same yields they did half a century ago because they have no access to technology, high yield seeds and fertilisers.  With the current technology yields can be tripled or quadrupled" throughout Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa (Daily Observer of 20.01.2009).

* A lesson we can learn from the experience of Asian countries is that, especially in small national agricultural research systems (NARS), university faculties of agriculture and agricultural research institutes should have very close working relationships, with the former involved in development-oriented agricultural research and have close association with research systems of the developed countries, in addition to collaboration with research institutes in other developing countries.  Universities can be valuable sources of agricultural development advice.

* It is claimed that hunger kills more people than AIDS, TB and Malaria combined, and malnutrition is widespread in both developed and developing countries.  
Hunger dulls the intellect, thwarts productivity and hinders development.  The popular consumption of ‘junk’ foods and processed imported foods may well contribute to the high incidence of diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension as well as diseases related to vitamin A, iron, zinc and iodine deficiencies.  Poor quality diets could make it harder to achieve the objectives of the millennium development goals (MDG’s) concerning efficient universal primary education and significantly reduced infant and maternal moralities.

Food self-sufficiency is laudable, but not enough, if many people cannot afford to buy the required quantity and quality of food for a healthy and active life.
Combined nutrition and health education in schools and colleges, similar to home science courses in agricultural colleges, can make a significant contribution to health, learning and productivity, if house-hold incomes also allow access to better diets.  Considering the important contribution of food to human well-being and socio-economic development, it is not surprising to learn about a state "ministry of food and agriculture"