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| A famer cleans her crop Photo courtesy |
Communiqué of The First Stakeholders Regional Farmers Meeting
Theme: “Aligning Production to Markets”
Protea Hotel, Livingstone Hotel, Zambia
15 April 2011
The First Stakeholders Regional Farmers Meeting was held at Protea Hotel in Livingstone, Zambia on 13th to 15th April 2011 under the theme ‘Aligning Production to Markets.’
The meeting, which was jointly hosted by the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), the Southern Africa Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) and the East African Farmers Federation (EAFF), was attended by representatives of farmers’ organisations and governments from the COMESA region, development agencies and implementing partners.
The meeting discussed a number of topics, including the following:
- Key challenges in the marketing of agricultural commodities;
- Agricultural standards and market access and farmers participation in standards setting;
- Models of linking small scale farmers to regional markets;
- Issues on smallholder farmer capacity;
- Models of how smallholder farmers can directly supply commodities to WFP through Commodity Exchanges;
- Smallholder farmer participation in Biotechnology.
The meeting identified a number of challenges that are facing farmers, particularly with respect to production and markets. In this regard, the following were considered some of the key issues:
Production
a) Inputs (Availability of appropriate Certified Inputs, Timely access, and high cost of Farm inputs)
b) Monopoly of input suppliers
c) Output storage handling and management
d)Natural disasters and climate change (weather stations infrastructure)
e) Extension services
Markets
a) Standards (standard settings, SPS)
b) Limited access and use of ICT by farmers
c) Access to organized markets
d) Trade finance
e) Value addition and processing
f) Market information (price, quantity, time delivery, location, changing consumer Low participation in the regional integration arrangements (farmers voice should be at center) g) Marketing infrastructure (warehouse, ICT communication, security, energy, road networks, transport logistics)
h) Existence of the Non –Tariff Barriers
Crosscutting issues
a) Policy Environment
b) Insurance
c) Gender
d) Entrepreneurship (Inadequate entrepreneurial skills)
e) HIV/AIDS (affecting productivity and marketing)
Farmers have resolved the following as some of the solutions to the challenges:
On production:
-Empower and strengthen Farmer Organisations (FOs) (Build their capacity in the negotiations and ensure collective bargaining;
-Establish competition laws to ensure fair and transparent competitive environment;
-Encourage and motivate the private sector to invest in input supplier initiatives e.g. COMRAP, WASAA;
-Promote local seed multiplication by farmers;
-Promote establishment of rural collective storage facilities;
-Support farmers to reduce post-harvest handling losses;
-Encourage use of bio energy as an alternative to fossil fuels;
-Conservation Agriculture;
-Avail timely and reliable weather patterns;
-Establish accessible early warning systems;.
-Train farmers on disaster mitigation and prevention;
-Public–Private Investment in the weather stations (Bring them close to the Community);
-Increase budgetary allocations to the agricultural sector especially in line with Maputo declaration of 2006;
-Appropriate technology for farmers (e.g. .Irrigation, soil testing hybrid seeds & machinery);
-Land issues (ownership, access and use)
On Markets:
-Build the capacity of the FOs to fully participate and represent their members in the standard settings and development;
-Build and utilize platforms for engagement between private sector and farmers in understanding the private standards and market dynamism;
-Sensitization and capacity building on the need to see farming as a business;
-Public –Private partnership investments in the ICT infrastructure;
-Development of user-friendly programs for farmers;
-Roll-out of tele-centers in rural areas;
-Use of commodity exchanges;
-Establish electronic platforms for buyers and sellers;
-Establish farmer – owned finance;
-Rural finance corporation;
-Rural based Warehouse Receipt systems;
-Training on value addition and processing;
-Encourage investment in the value addition &processing technologies;
-Strengthen the existing market information systems and promote the development of new ones.(FAMIS, ACEA);
-Promote Public-Private sector investment;
-Implement one border post initiatives;
-Promote regional corridor initiatives;
-Establish viable mechanisms to track and monitor the NTBs.
On Crosscutting Issues:
-Governments should provide conducive environment for production and trade;
-Advocacy at all levels;
-Harmonization of policies at regional level;
-Promote Warehouse Receipt Systems;
-Encourage PP investments in Weather stations;
-Promote gender responsive programs and initiatives;
-Promote women participation in existing regional programs;
-Training (Skills development);
-Increased exposures through trade fair and shows;
-Sharing innovation and experiences;
-Information and education on how to deal with situations;
-Support nutritional programs and agricultural products that support affected households.
We therefore urge the following:
1. COMESA, EAC and SADC and national governments
-Facilitate policy harmonization; allow smallholder farmers to effectively benefit from regional arrangements, increased production and access to regional markets;
-Establish appropriate funding mechanisms (e.g regional agric development funds);
-Put in place measures aimed at enhancing access to inputs farmers and encouraging private sector investments.
2. Private Sector
-Increase investments in agricultural development;
-Establish partnerships with public sector and communities;
-Establish fair, open and transparent arrangements in partnerships with farmers.
3. Development partners
-Allocate more development support to addressing production and marketing related challenges;
-Ease access conditions for farmers and farmer organizations;
-Allocate resources for the capacity building of farmer’s organizations.
In conclusion, we as farmer organizations will:
1. Mobilise farmers into viable structures;
2. Raise advocacy and lobbying capacities;
3. Endeavour to participate in key standards setting processes, structures and marketing arrangements;
4. Support collective actions;
5. Build trust and honesty in all business transactions;
6. Encourage learning and sharing of information, experiences
Courtesy: ACTESA
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