Farmers Review Africa May/June 2017 Farmers Review Africa | Page 26

Insights
Quality agricultural education essential
to increase productivity in Africa
e untapped potential in Africa is huge. In
spite of declining growth rates and recent
credit downgrades in many African countries,
a growing labor force and vast expanses of
arable land, point to signi cant opportunities.
However, many challenges also need to be
addressed in order to tap into the possibilities -
from low levels of health and education to
climate change, limited funding and lack of
access to key resources.
According to Foresight Africa's 2016 report, at
200 million hectares, sub-Saharan Africa is
home to nearly half of the world's uncultivated
land that can be brought into production, and
yet Africa struggles with undernourished
populations and the region is increasingly
May - June 2017
dependent on food imports.
Raising productivity is vital for Africa's
economic future
We know that farming is massively important
in Africa: it is the primary source of food and
income for Africans, it provides up to 60
percent of all jobs on the continent, and about
a third of the gross domestic product comes
from agriculture. Yet, the Foresight Africa
report is clear: without a 60 percent increase
in food production in sub-Saharan Africa
over the next 15 years, there will not be
enough food to feed the growing population.
If Africa could produce more food, it would
help to reduce poverty, enhance food security
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and provide economic growth opportunities.
But agricultural productivity in Africa still has
a long way to go. Most farming depends on
rainfall, rather than irrigation; the use of
technology and machinery is limited; and
funding for fertilisers, pesticides, and high-
q u a l i t y s e e d s i s h a r d t o c o m e b y.
ere can be no doubt that revitalising the
agriculture sector and raising productivity is
vital for Africa's economic future. On the face
of it, the growth that's needed shouldn't be
hard to achieve - Africa has the land, water,
and people needed to be an efficient
agricultural producer.
Quality agricultural education is essential
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