EAC Deputy Secretary General, in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Jean Baptiste Havugimana
EAC Deputy Secretary General, in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Jean Baptiste Havugimana made the remarks in Arusha at the official opening of the 9th meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security.
Echoeing the critical role of agriculture and food security in the region said the trading bloc’s secretariat will collaborate with Partner States to spur efforts towards enhancing the sector and facilitating trade within the region and beyond.
Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Owora Richard Othieno said that the meeting is aimed at reviewing the progress made in implementing Council decisions and consideration of other issues of regional importance in the areas of agriculture and food security including crops, livestock and fisheries and related issues.
According to him, the meeting is being conducted through the sessions of senior officials from January 18 – to 20, 2016, Permanent/Principal Secretaries session on January 21, 2016 and the Ministerial/Cabinet Secretaries’ session on January 22, 2016.
Agriculture is one of the region’s most important sectors, with about 80 percent of the population of the East African Community Partner States living in rural areas and depending on the sector for their livelihoods.
The sector accounts for about 35 percent of the GDP in Burundi, 27 percent in Kenya, 30 percent in Rwanda, 25 percent in Tanzania and 25 percent in Uganda, (2015 figures), although its contribution to these economies continues to decline.
Since agriculture employs over 80 percent of the rural population – majority of whom are poor–development of the agricultural sector presents a great opportunity for poverty reduction in a sustainable manner, he said. The sector also contributes to foreign exchange earnings, employment and provides raw materials for agro-based industries.
The agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder mixed farming of livestock, food crops, cash crops, fishing and aquaculture.
The major food crops are maize, rice, potatoes, bananas, cassava, beans, vegetables, sugar, wheat, sorghum, millet and pulses. Some of these are also sold and could be regarded as cash crops.
Cash crops include: tea, cotton, coffee, pyrethrum, sugar cane, sisal, horticultural crops, oil-crops, cloves, tobacco, coconut and cashew nuts.
Agriculture and Food Security is a key area of cooperation as outlined in Chapter 18 (Articles 105-110) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community, and key among the objectives of the EAC is the achievement of food security and rational agricultural production.
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