Emmanuel Katto | Agriculture in Africa:
Some crucial points to Ponder
You may have heard about Africa and about its agricultural activities which support its
economy, it employs a significant portion of the population. I’m Emmanuel Katto also known
as Emmanuel Katto Uganda or Emka Uganda, a local journalist from Uganda. Today I will
tell you some of the crucial points regarding agriculture in Africa.
As we know that Africa is a resource-rich country, where agriculture is also a primary
activity. It is a crucial sector in Africa where the majority of the workforce is engaged in
farming-related activities. It contributes significantly to the country’s GDP and provides a
livelihood for rural communities.
The average economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is frequently outpaced by that of the
world. According to IMF, the total GDP of the region estimated is $2 trillion in 2022 with a
forecast to rise to $2.9 by 2026.
In a recent report, scientists at the National Agriculture Research Institute in Uganda are
turning farming waste into biodegradable seedling pots, such initiatives also play a vital role
in reducing plastic waste. These seedlings will help in sustaining nutrients back to the roots of
the plants. The bag is a bio-degradable bag that will not harm the environment.
Africa is also well known for its agricultural products. It is known for its coffee production
which is a high-quality coffee beans known as Arabica coffee beans. Ghana and Nigeria are
the prominent producers of cocoa, which is a key ingredient in chocolate and confectionary
products.
Many agricultural products such as maize, banana, mango, pineapple, rice, millets, sorghum,
cashew nuts etc are produced in Africa.
Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi are famous for their tea production. Africa is also famous for
palm oil production, Nigeria and Ghana are famous for palm oil production. Like these
resources, there are more agricultural products that Africa produces.
Since the whole world is facing the issue of climate change, as it has impacted agricultural
production as well in Africa. But Africa has shown a potential in the output of the agricultural
production and if adequate measures are taken by the government in tackling the climate
change issue then things will be restored as well as the agricultural life will be back to
normal.