Addis Ababa – The African Union Commissioner, Josefa Sacko, reaffirmed on Tuesday in Addis Ababa that the continent continues to underexploit the potential of its animal resources, largely due to the fact that it faces challenges such as animal nutrition and health.
The diplomat, who was speaking at the launch of the Pan-African Programme for the Eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants in Africa (PPR), stressed that most African countries continue to face difficulties in achieving an adequate level of food and nutritional security for a constantly growing population, while sustainably preserving natural resources.
According to her, one of the solutions to this challenge lies in the animal resources sector, in particular livestock farming, which is a crucial means of subsistence for rural populations in Africa and is of great strategic importance for the continent's food and nutritional security and for intra-African and international trade.
Josefa Sacko stressed that, in the absence of an increase in livestock production and productivity, the growing demand for animal-based foods will be met by increasing livestock import bills for many African countries.
In addition, she assured that the failure to transform and expand the African livestock sector will have undesirable effects, namely, the slowdown in the growth of local industries, lack of employment opportunities, especially for young people and women, reduction in the incomes of African pastoralists and loss of tax revenues.
“Therefore, by investing in sustainable livestock production, we are not only boosting local economies, but also promoting entrepreneurship, especially among our young people and women, and reducing rural-urban migration,” warned the AU Commissioner.
According to the Angolan ambassador, the African livestock sector contributes, on average, at least more than 40% to agricultural GDP and has the potential to generate growth, driven by the agri-food system and socio-economic transformation.
“As a continent, we need to change this narrative and catalyze investments, both from the public and private sectors, in line with the Kampala Declaration and the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) strategy and action plan, to achieve the aspirations of Agenda 2063, the ‘Africa we want’,” she argued.
In her view, to overcome the current situation, the eradication of small ruminant pest in Africa will contribute significantly to the main objectives of Agenda 2063, to strengthen food security and economic growth, promoting regional integration through safe trade in animals and animal products.
According to the AU Commissioner, the eradication of pest in animals requires an estimated budget of 528 million Euros (one euro is equivalent to 947.92 Kwanzas) to implement the programme, which will require the partnership of stakeholders in mobilising resources.
“In this context, allow me to acknowledge and appreciate the commitment of the European Union Commission, which will make available
100 million euros for the eradication of this pest.
I am pleased to inform you that eight million euros have already been released for the preparatory phase of the programme”, he assured.
According to the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), Africa has about one billion sheep and goats, which represent 24% and 31% of the world's small ruminant population, respectively. Most small ruminants on the African continent are raised mainly in arid and semi-arid areas and constitute a crucial asset and a safety net for the poor, especially women and pastoralist groups, who are vulnerable to socio-economic shocks. However, their production and productivity are mainly affected by peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a deadly disease of sheep and goats with a major socio-economic and commercial impact. CS/TED/DOJ
