De Graaff pins hopes on agricultural research
Maranyane Ngwanaamotho | Thursday May 8, 2014 11:03
At a regional agricultural research meeting on Tuesday, de Graaff said that agriculture was critical to the economy, as it creates employment and sustenance for rural communities, where the bulk of Batswana reside.
“There can be no food security in the region and indeed in Africa without the embrace of agricultural research and innovative policies,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the majority of low income countries are lagging behind in agricultural research and productivity. This is primarily due to their low investment in agricultural research and development despite observations that this investment is one of the most important requirements for improvement in agricultural production.”
De Graaff said economic revitalisation was intricately linked to agricultural rejuvenation “because this sector holds the key to addressing unemployment, food security and wealth creation for our people”.
About 180 participants from the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) met in Gaborone on Tuesday and yesterday, for their first general meeting.
CCARDESA was established in 2011 by SADC member states to coordinate agricultural research and development in the region.
De Graaff said CCARDESA presented the best opportunity to galvanise regional efforts at harnessing the best research and development initiatives within SADC and beyond.
“We cannot revitalise agriculture along the lines of old ways of subsistence production and marginalisation of disadvantaged groups and thus compromising food security.
Hence our emphasis for revitalising agricultural needs to change to promote commercialisation.
It needs to create an enabling environment and commercial activities aimed at bringing sustainable returns by adopting improved technologies and practices,” he said.
He said CCARDESA will play a catalytic role in research and development in Southern Africa and link other regional and continental organisations to contribute to agricultural research.