KAMPALA - The Ministers responsible for Agricultural Research from 15 African countries have committed themselves to support small-scale farmers, especially women and youth to access and use agricultural technologies and innovations.

The ministers and their representatives also committed themselves to supporting women and youth to increase access to agricultural markets through supporting more structured production. 

They would also support distribution and trade to upgrade value chains of key food security commodities for higher trade volumes, farmer income and incentives, and national revenue.

Fred Kyakulaga Bwino (R), the state minister for agriculture talks to Josephine Lagu Yanga, the minister for agriculture and food security of South Sudan. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

In a joint communiqué, the 15 members of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) attending a three-day Agriculture Ministerial Conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo, May 18, 2023, the member states also agreed to support scaling and commercialization of agricultural technologies and innovations in their respective countries.

They include Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Congo Brazzaville, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Somalia and Uganda. 

Uganda's state minister for agriculture Fred Kyakulaga Bwino signs a joint communique as Ahmed Mathobe, the Somalia minister of agriculture and irrigation looks on.

The communique states that the ministers also agreed to promote climate-smart agriculture innovations for enhanced productivity, resilience, and livelihoods, promote integrated water and soil productivity innovations, enhance capacities in digital literacy to promote utilization of digital agricultural tools, support ‘Regional

Centres of Excellence for delivery of Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) services including agricultural technologies and technologies.

The ministers and their representatives also committed themselves to supporting women and youth to increase access to agricultural markets through supporting more structured production.

Other commitments include promoting crop, livestock and aquaculture integration for improved income and food security, supporting small-scale farmers to access seasonal climate forecasts and related tailored advisory services and formulating policies that support the development and maintenance of agricultural data hubs including soil-crop database hubs. 

Other commitments include, among others, increasing access to agricultural data and information for planning and decision-making.

Several delegates from 15 African countries attended the conference.

The state minister for agriculture, Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, signed the communique on behalf of Uganda. 

Other two ministers at the conference included Josephine Lagu Yanga, the South Sudan minister for agriculture and food security and Ahmed Mathobe Nunow, the Somalia minister for agriculture and irrigation.

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Below is a highlight of pictures from the conference, all by Eddie Ssejjoba;

Enock Warinda, the executive director ASARECA helps a minister sign a joint communique. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

The ministers and their representatives also committed themselves to supporting women and youth to increase access to agricultural markets through supporting more structured production.