Word And African Development Banks Urged To Fund Agriculture

The chairperson of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) Dr. Charity Kruger has called upon the African Developmental Bank, the World Bank and development partners to ensure increased financing for agricultural research and development along the value chains to promote the sustainability of the sector.

According to her, to increase agricultural productivity in Africa, there is the need for rapid agricultural transformation across Africa.

Speaking at the opening of the 7^th Africa Agricultural Science Week (AASW) and the FARA General Assembly in Kigali Rwanda, Ms Charity Kruger stated that the development of agricultural commodity value chains was critical to the transformation of the agricultural sector in Africa to assure sustainability.

Dr. Kruger noted that; “this is our time to craft strategies and actions aimed at enhancing the contribution of agriculture, Science Technology and Innovation towards accelerating the continent’s economic and social transformation.”

The 7^th AASW is being held against a backdrop of a renewed commitment of the African Heads of State to make Africa feed itself and transform its economies by leveraging on agriculture as a source of wealth and job creation.

Besides promoting agricultural research in Africa, this event will also serve as an opportunity for leading agricultural experts from Africa and beyond, development institutions, research agencies, private sector, financial institutions, academia and the civil society to discuss lessons learnt, challenges and achievements experienced in an effort to develop the agricultural sector across Africa.