Rwanda’s agricultural sector accounts for nearly 30% of the national Gross domestic product (GDP) while this sector makes up 23% of the continent’s GDP.
However, Agriculture on the African continent is still lagging compared to other parts of the world.
“Agriculture is a critical driver of Africa’s economic growth. But we have not yet unlocked its full potential,” President Paul Kagame said on Tuesday during the graduation ceremony at Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture (RICA).
President Kagame told the graduates, “I challenge you to identify a problem, give it your full attention, and make it your purpose to solve it.”
You will experience many setbacks. Having a vision is often the difference between giving up and persevering.”
“Having challenges is not the issue. The problem is leaving those challenges unaddressed. In Rwanda, we have tried to do our best to address our challenges the best way we can. And we will not stop doing so no matter what anyone thinks about us.”
However, the President noted, “To be successful, you have to walk the path less travelled. More often than not, this means being misunderstood or criticized.”
Africa’s potential to meet not only its own food needs but those of the rest of the world is abundantly clear.
“Africa has 65 percent of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land, an abundance of fresh water, and about 300 days of sunshine each year,” according to the African Development Review (ADR).
ADR argues that Africa’s agricultural transformation still faces numerous challenges.
They include technological innovation, land reforms, irrigation, climate change, trade, value chains and gender gap in resources access.
Meanwhile, a serious economic challenge currently facing Africa is its food sector, which is now one of the continent’s top development priorities.
African farmers and consumers need to address the challenge posed by the food sector.
At present, 20% of the food consumed in Africa is imported. This importation costs between U$30 and U$50 billion per year and according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, it could climb to U$150 billion by 2030.
The question is this, how can Africa address its food needs in the coming years? These are the challenges the graduates of Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture (RICA) need to identify and find solutions for.
About fifteen years ago, the African Union made the choice to make the agricultural sector one of the main pillars of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.