The Member of Parliament for Yendi Constituency in the northern region, Hon Farouk Aliu Mahama, has called for agricultural revolution in Africa in the wake threats of food insecurity due to the impact of Covid-19.
He argues more than 60 percent of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is smallholder farmers, and about 23 percent of Gross Domestic Product of countries in the continent comes from agriculture.
The lawmaker further recognized the social and economic footprint and impact of agriculture on the livelihood of the people of Africa.
“This revolution to transform and propel the state of agriculture in Africa is one that must be consciously planned to yield a continental change” the MP emphasized.
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama as a member of the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Select Committee made the statement on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday (February 14, 2023) on the need for agricultural revolution in Africa through agricultural risk management tools and the efficient and optimal use of our natural resources.
He argues, “In a recent analysis, it was determined that Africa could produce two to three times more cereals and grains, which would add 20 percent more cereals and grains to the current worldwide 2.6 billion tons of output. Similar increases could be seen in the production of horticulture crops and livestock”.
The Yendi legislator also underscored the need to adopt sound Agriculture insurance tool as a guard for smallholder farmers asserting agricultural index insurance has been a tool for risk management that has shown significant promise for promoting sustainable development and resilience.
“Index insurance has helped small-scale farmers and pastoralists to increase their resilience to weather shocks like drought or flood while encouraging investments in productivity that in good years create a pathway to prosperity” he pointed out.
