via Zimbabwe tops COMESA food chart | The Herald 17 November 2014 by Tinashe Makichi
Zimbabwe has come out tops as the country satisfactorily addresses its food security situation after registering a 77 percent growth in cereal production the previous season, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa has said. COMESA said the general trend in the food security situation in the region is of an increase in cereal production with a number of countries registering positive growth.
According to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organisation crop prospects and food situation to July this year, Zimbabwe will have the highest increase registering a high value of 77 percent followed by Sudan at 74,2 percent by the end of 2014.
COMESA said other countries with a positive forecast include Madagascar (1,6 percent), Zambia (24,5 percent), and Malawi (5,4 percent). On the other hand, Kenya and Uganda are expected to register a decline at 8,1 percent and 4,5 percent respectively.
“A number of member states in the COMESA region are poised to register growth in terms of food security situation as cereal production takes centre stage.”
The statistical report was presented during the 6th Joint COMESA Technical Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources in Kinshasa.
The three-day meeting addressed the food security situation in the COMESA region including the regional food balance sheet.The report estimated that agriculture contributes more than 32 percent of COMESA region’s Gross Domestic Product and employs about 80 percent of its labour force.
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