Backbone providing essential livelihoods for over 55% of its gainfully employed population directly, agriculture assumes immense policy priority in Central Africa Republic going forth given substantial room for raising agricultural productivity beyond current levels restricted by rainfall uncertainties and infrastructure gaps with development estimates indicating irrigation potential for an added 35% cultivation enhancement alone transforming agricultural output scales while better links to markets can enhance agricultural crop diversification prospects attracting youth entrepreneurship into agricultural cash crops value chains hubs leveraging preferential trade pacts maximizing agricultural export readiness though regional political turbulence remain key bottlenecks.
Moreover staples self-sufficiency warrants climate risks mitigation interventions including flood control mechanisms, agricultural farm cooperatives participation fostering and even exploring greenhouse farming pilot prioritization. Increase public investments in agriculture to at least 10% of total public sector spending, as set under the Comprehensive Central Africa Agriculture Development Program, a continent-wide initiative of the African Union.
As the largest employer, agriculture is pivotal to livelihoods and food security in a country still recovering from conflict. Subsistence farming prevails currently, but substantial potential exists to raise agricultural productivity and output by addressing constraints like rainfall uncertainty and infrastructure gaps limiting market access. Irrigating a further 35% of cultivable land could significantly boost agricultural yields, as could better transport and storage to reduce post-harvest losses. Preferential trade access also provides opportunities to diversify into higher value cash crops in agriculture and agro-processing if supply chain links are strengthened. agricultural transformation impacts on economic growth through increased consumption from households engaged in agriculture as their incomes rise.
In view of the foregoing, there is a broad consensus on the need for a rapid transformation of Africa’s agriculture in order to accelerate the continent’s development and the pace of inclusive and sustainable economic growth. A more drastic economic alteration is needed and the agriculture sector can perfectly kick-start the process. If well managed and implemented— transformation in the agriculture sector has the potential of overcoming many of Africa’s economic challenges by supporting growth, promoting inclusion and reducing poverty. It also has the virtue of relieving recurrent human challenges on the continent by fostering food security and improving nutrition and related health issues.
With agriculture so vital to employment and social stability, the government is prioritizing more sustainable, productive and market-integrated models that leverage preferential trade pacts to maximize agricultural growth – essential for longer-term peacebuilding.
Luckily our agriculture advisors bring deep market connectivity and crisis management exposure guiding regional governments and humanitarian agencies deliver solutions together earlier through tools spanning community farming incubation, climate smart irrigation advisory and even food drops emergency coordination for vulnerable households eventually realizing productivity potential responsibly at an appropriate time!
