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Abebe Haile-Gabriel (right), Assistant Director-General of FAO, speaking at the press briefing, under the watch of other officials of the organization. Image: NII MARTEY M. BOTCHWAY
FAO has urged the government to make its flagship agricultural program, Plant for Food and Jobs, an intersectoral program and not leave it to the only Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
While welcoming the program to increase food production in the country, which has generated surpluses in the market and at the gates of farms, he called for a coordinated effort to achieve the desired goal.
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"It should be treated in a global way, otherwise we will run the same cycle.
Dr. Abebe Haile-Gabriel, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for FAO for Africa, FAO, told a press briefing to reporters yesterday.
The meeting focused on the state of food security and malnutrition in Africa and the steps to be taken to address these issues.
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Specifically, Dr. Haile-Gabriel stated that the Planting for Food and Employment program, as an agricultural development campaign, should be on the agenda of ministers of health. 39, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Finance and other ministries.
He described some of the causes of food insecurity in Africa, including low levels of food productivity, low value-added or lack of value-added, a huge food deficit leading to food imports and a lack of food security. high degree of vulnerability on the continent.
Food industry
Dr. Haile-Gabriel said the program should be linked to an agro-industrial development strategy so that farm produce can be used as raw material. for the industry.
"For example, if we're talking about tomatoes, we should think about tomato puree; if we talk about fruit, we should think about fruit juice, "he said, adding that agro-industries were not complicated.
He said the important thing was how to attract the private sector to interest and invest in the agricultural sector, especially in the agri-food, in order to use agricultural products and to create jobs for young people.
"In fact, it's the beginning of the whole process. Most of the money is in the agri – food and agri – food sector. Most job opportunities are not found in clearing or weeding, "he said.
Attract young people to agriculture
Dr. Haile-Gabriel explained that agriculture should be managed and managed as an economic activity and that there should be programs and policies that attract young people to agriculture.
He added that Africa had an elderly population in agriculture and that it was necessary to integrate young people in this sector, while the continent also had to correct the false perception regarding Agriculture that began at the level of land preparation and ended at harvest.
Dr Haile-Gabriel referred to the huge post-harvest losses in Africa and was convinced that agri-food processing was the best way to remedy the situation.
He said that currently, 230 million tons of food and food products were lost each year in sub-Saharan Africa, due to waste and post-harvest losses, and pointed out that an increase in investment in the agri-food sector would remedy the situation.
Worm of the army
Responding to a question about what FAO was doing to help Ghana and that Africa is tackling the fall army worm threat, Dr. Haile-Gabriel said that FAO was providing funds / technical cooperation by mobilizing partnerships, donors and research institutes so that more than 26 African countries affected by worms have received support to manage the infestation.
He added that what African countries needed to do was empower farmers to play a central role in pest management, adding that FAO had developed an application that allowed farmers to worm on their farm was an immediate fall, Amy Worm.
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