Farm chief says agriculture has vital role to play in African development |
Farming has a vital role to play in enabling millions of Africans to escape the poverty trap, a European farming head said on a fact-finding visit to Kenya, this week.
Mr. Padraig Walshe, who is the President of European Farmers Union COPA said that the importance of increasing farm productivity had been brought home during his field visit with Self Help Africa to Kenya.
Mr Walshe, who is also head of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) met with representatives of the Kenyan Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP), and held a meeting with representatives of Kenyan small-holding farmers.
Following his meetings he said that small-scale farming had a vital role to play in finding a lasting solution to the problems of hunger and poverty in Africa.
“Close to 80% of Kenyan rely on farming for their survival. It is vital that the organisational structures are in place, so that they can get access to markets, and a fair price for their produce. The representatives we met acknowledged that tariff-free access exists for them into the European market, something that does not apply in other markets,” he said.
The COPA President commended Self Help Africa for its work with rural communities in Kenya and elsewhere, and said that by promoting simple and cost effective solutions, the organisation was allowing farmers to substantially increase their earnings.
“They are working at grassroots level promoting crop diversification, irrigated production, and a variety of other activities, and at the same time are helping farmers to organise into co-operatives, so that they can store, transport, and market their surplus produce,” he said.
With the United Nations estimating that the number of people in the world facing hunger and starvation is expected to increase to over one billion for the first time ever, Mr. Walshe said that it was critical that the focus was put onto increasing agricultural production in Africa.
Mr. Walshe traveled with Self Help Africa to visit its projects at Gilgil, Nakuru and Rongai in Rift Valley Province.
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