Central Africa can put an end to a paradoxical situation where it depends on massive imports of food products to feed itself while it holds a unique potential for competitive agriculture capable of satisfying the needs of its population.
The growing food insecurity in the sub-region is due, among other things, to low agricultural productivity, the rise in fertiliser prices exacerbated by the twin shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as and persistently high prices for imported food.
Gathered for a webinar on December 19, 2024, on the theme “Investing in Fertiliser Special Economic Zones and Petrochemical Value Chains to Revolutionize Agriculture in Central Africa”, the continent’s experts call on the countries in the subregion to intensify agricultural production through the establishment of special economic zones for fertiliser production.
Boaz Keizire, Vice-President of the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), says that “despite abundant arable land and despite the commitment made by the Heads of State at the Malabo Summit in 2014, the continent’s agricultural systems and in Central Africa continue to record low yields. For example, the productivity per hectare of maize is 1.7 tonnes in Africa while it varies between 7 and 8 tonnes in the United States of America. Central African countries must work to enrich the soils they own”.
There is no shortage of factor endowments. Based on a study being finalised by the ECA Subregional Office for Central Africa, Bertrand Ngnie notes that the “sub-region is richly endowed with the necessary inputs to the production of nitrogen fertilisers. Central Africa has significant reserves of oil, natural gas, potash and phosphate that justify the development of a regional NPK fertiliser value chain.”
The sub-region can benefit from the good practices of countries such as Egypt, Morocco and South Africa. Samir Elkareish suggested “the establishment of a platform composed of the countries of the sub-region and advanced countries as well as partners for a coalition leading to fertiliser production and increased agricultural production in Central Africa.”
Jean Luc Mastaki, Director of the ECA Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa, called for the establishment of an exchange platform extended to various stakeholders in order to continue discussions on the issues, challenges and opportunities of the agricultural transformation of Central Africa.
“Local production and the increased use of fertilisers combined with an improvement in agricultural production techniques would eventually contribute to the gradual emanciation of agricultural production. Central Africa from its great dependence on the import of food products, which increases the vulnerability of populations, especially the poorest, to external shocks,” said Mastaki.
