NAIROBI, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Experts from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa have vowed to boost agricultural production in eastern and southern Africa by identifying bottlenecks in the implementation of harmonized regulations in the region.
The experts, who ended a two-day meeting in Nairobi, agreed to partner with regional institutions to help eliminate barriers to the harmonization of existing policies, regulations and protocols.
"We have to assess what exists, identify gaps and support required reforms in the regional member countries to accelerate policy harmonization," said Nnenna Nwabufo, deputy director general for east African regional hub at African Development Bank (AfDB), in a joint statement issued on Monday.
Nwabufo said the experts have developed an action plan that will accelerate seed variety release and deployment, which makes it easier for seed varieties to be deployed in areas with similar agro-ecological conditions without necessarily going through lengthy procedures.
Denis Kyetere, executive director of African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), called for the adoption and use of new innovative technologies that contribute to increasing production and productivity.
Kyetere noted that the technologies should ensure responsible management of the environment and respond effectively to climatic changes and other variables.
Getting the technologies into farmers' hands will not only ensure returns but also ensure Africa has the ability and means to reap from its agricultural potential, he said.
"There is need for public-private partnerships that will not only ensure that technologies reach farmers and stimulate innovation but also encourage growth of agriculture as a business, nurture private sector growth, which will in turn grow interest and employment opportunities for youth and support women's participation," Kyetere said.
He noted that delivery of productivity-enhancing technologies will require streamlining of national policies, laws and regulatory frameworks so that varieties of seeds released in one country could be utilized in other countries with similar agro-ecological characteristics.
