Zim makes steps in meeting agric benchmark

NDAMU SANDU

Zimbabwe has been classified as progressive despite failing to meet the benchmark 7.28 out of 10 score for a country to be on track in implementing a continental policy to boost agriculture under the Malabo Declaration, a new report has shown.

The Malabo Declaration provides the direction for Africa’s agriculture transformation for the period 2015 – 2025, within the Framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) as a vehicle to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the first 10-year Implementation Plan of Africa’s Agenda 2063.

According to the third biennial review published this month, Zimbabwe had a score of 5.17 up from 4.58 recorded in the last review in 2019.

Zimbabwe was among the 19 countries considered progressive by virtue of having their score equal to or more than 5 but less than the benchmark 7.28.

Rwanda is the only African country which is on track to meet Malabo Declaration with a score of 7.43%.

Under the Malabo Declaration, AU member states committed to report on a biennial basis, the progress in achieving the seven commitments of the Declaration—recommitting to the principles and values of the CAADP process; enhancing investment finance in agriculture; ending hunger in Africa by 2025; reducing poverty at least by half, by 2025, through inclusive agricultural growth and transformation and boosting intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and services.

Member States also committed themselves to enhance resilience of livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and other related risks; and strengthening mutual accountability to actions and results.

Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Tanzania are on track on showing commitment to the principles and values of the CAADP process.

In the 2019 review, two out of 49 member states were reported on track to this commitment, the report said.

Kenya was the only country that met the benchmark on the commitment to end hunger by 2025.

The report said while Zimbabwe (4.97), Uganda (4.99), The Gambia (4.90), Rwanda (5.43), Ethiopia (4.62) and Angola (4.46) failed to meet the target, they “have made noticeable positive progress”.

“The overall score for the whole of Africa is 4.32. Although this score is higher than the overall score of 4.03 for 2019 Biennial Review cycle, the continent is still not-on-track to meet the CAADP/Malabo Commitment by 2025,” the report said.