THE cluster meeting of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Food Security will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa on May 21.
During the meeting, the ministers will deliberate on the current regional food security situation in the region and the number of people who are food insecure.
The Dar-es-Salaam Declaration and Plan of Action on Agriculture and Food Security of 2004 and the implementation of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan are also in the agenda. The ministers’ meeting is preceded by a conference of senior officials which started yesterday.
‘Agriculture ministers will receive reports on the stage of implementation of various programmes designed to increase food security in the region,’ said a statement of the SADC Secretariat based in Gaborone, Botswana.
The meeting will also discuss a proposal to establish a sub-regional organisation to co-ordinate regional research and developmental programmes in southern Africa.
Another point of discussion is the Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the SADC Harmonised Seed Regulatory System, which was approved by the SADC Council of Ministers in August 2007.
Progress on the preparation of a regional agriculture policy and the implementation of measures for the control of trans-boundary animal diseases (TADs), which have a significant impact on trade in livestock and livestock products, are also on the agenda.
South Africa’s new Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Petterson, will host and chair the meeting. – Nampa
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