Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary Officially Announces ASARECA Agriculture Ministers Meeting
Hon. Mithika Linturi briefing Media in his Office in Nairobi, Kenya.
BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT & GENEVIEVE APIO
NAIROBI, KENYA: “Africa is endowed with water, food, resilient varieties, fantastic climate, and a youthful population. We Africans must therefore leverage on our strength to produce enough food to feed ourselves and the whole world,” Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Hon. Mithika Linturi said on Monday.
3rd CPM Announced
Announcing the 3rd ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers’ meeting to the country, Hon. Linturi, who is also the Chairman ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers said with teamwork and collective action, all is possible in making Africa the food basket.
“The ministers meeting is a forum that will give us an opportunity to sit down and critically put things on the table. I believe Africa can feed the rest of the world and that is our greatest potential. This is an area that we can persuade the donor group or anybody else to come in and support it is this field of agriculture,” said the CS.
Kenya ‘happy’ to host Ministers
Hon. Linturi said Kenya was privileged to host the high-level event as it enhances the visibility of the country, and facilitates exchange of knowledge among senior political, policy and research leaders, especially on priorities that bind the continent.
“ASARECA’s mandate is to develop, disseminate and scale up proven technologies in agricultural production, strengthen strategic partnerships with private sector networks for enhanced trade and commercialization of agricultural technologies and innovations and also coordinate actions aimed at enhancing the adoption of agro ecological approaches for the attainment of sustainable food and seed systems”, the CS said.
Ministers to agree on collective actions
ASARECA Executive Director, Dr. Enock Warinda said bringing together the ministers in charge of agriculture to discuss matters pertaining to agricultural research for development will be of great help since there are challenges like food scarcity and climate change in the sub-region.
“There are vagaries of weather and there are pests and diseases, which require a concerted and combined effort of the Ministers of agriculture. The best way you can do it is by bringing these ministers together so that they can discuss and come up with the practical solutions. Beyond that, you cannot do much,” said Dr. Warinda. “This meeting will also bring together donors and development partners who are aligned to agriculture.”
Dr. Warinda noted that the ministers will deliberate on priority technologies for scaling out, replicated and made available at very minimal or no cost at all so that the region can have free access to these technologies. “The ministers are the policy makers. They are also going to discuss on how the 15 countries can encourage the free flow of goods through trade and encourage the smallholder farmers.
Board visits the Minister
Earlier in the day, the ASARECA Board of Directors paid a courtesy call on the Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry headquarters at Kilimo House in Nairobi, Kenya. Discussions with the Board focused on preparations for the upcoming Council of Patron Ministers meeting.
About the Ministers’ meeting
The Council of Patron Ministers is expected to advance Resolutions of the May 2023 Agriculture Ministerial Conference to pay up arrears in Membership contributions to ASARECA, and commit to finance proposed regional Agricultural Research for Development Projects.
The 3rd ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers meetings is convened by Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Republic of Kenya in collaboration with ASARECA. The ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers (CPM) is the highest Organ of the Association with a clear mandate to provide guidance to ASARECA on regional and national strategic matters in Agricultural Research for Development.
Line Ministers for Agriculture
The Council of Patron Ministers comprises the Line Ministers responsible for agricultural research in the 15 ASARECA Member States namely: Republic of Burundi; Republic of Cameroon; Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; State of Eritrea; Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; Republic of Kenya; Republic of Madagascar; Republic of the Congo; Republic of Rwanda; Federal Republic of Somalia; Republic of South Sudan; Republic of the Sudan; United Republic of Tanzania; Republic of Uganda.
Theme of the 3rd Council of Patron Ministers
The theme of the 3rd Council of Patron Ministers is: Together Transforming Agriculture for Improved Livelihoods, Sustained Economic Growth, and Inclusive Development in Eastern and Central Africa.
Objectives of the 3rd Council of Patron Ministers
During the 3rd Council of Patron Ministers, the Ministers will discuss how to support ASARECA to exercise its mandate of coordinating efforts by the Member States to Transform Agriculture for Improved Livelihoods, Sustained Economic Growth, and Inclusive Development in Eastern and Central Africa.
Who is expected to attend?
The 3rd Council of Patron Ministers will be attended by:
- The Line ministers responsible for Agriculture in ASARECA Member States
- The President of the ASARECA General Assembly
- The Directors General of National Agricultural Research Institutes;
- ASARECA Board of Directors
- Representatives of Development Partners.