African agriculture causing concern

Press, 20 July 1984, Page 22

African agriculture causing concern

NZPA-Reuter Harare Agricultural experts attending a conference on the critical food situation in at least 24 African countries have been told they should revise their policies to try to stem the continent’s falling food production. The experts from 51 countries were holding a week of technical meetings before the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s thirteenth regional conference for Africa. The F.A.O. policy analysis head, Mr Jan van As, told the conference that consistent price policies were vital to reverse what he called “the disappointing performance of the agriculture sector in most African countries.” He said the widespread practice of subsidising basic foods was counter-produc-tive and presented Governments with huge bills that hampered long-term development. “Subsidies for specific food items have tended to improve consumption and nutrition, but have not shown positive effects on over-all food prices and therefore on the cost of living and wage levels,” Mr van As said. Most of the benefits of subsidies accrue to middleincome urban consumers, he said. “It might well be preferable to gradually reduce the over-all level of food subsidies and target them for securing enough

food for low-income groups.” Subsidies on basic foods such as grain and maize are common throughout Africa and their lowering or removal have often led to violence, notably bread riots in Tunisia earlier this year. Several delegates disagreed with the F.A.0., and delegates from Niger and Rwanda described subsidies as a “necessary evil.” The conference is being held at a time of growing concern over food shortages throughout Africa, particularly the southern part of

the continent which has been gripped by drought for the last three years. Papers available to delegates show that Africa is Hie only continent failing to keep food production ahead of population growth. In the last decade, food production in Africa is estimated to have fallen by more than 10 per cent while food imports have more than doubled in volume and risen five times in cost. Compounding the situation, many African countries have annual population increases of 3 to 4 per cent.