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Audio speech of the Chairperson during Her Excellency's address to the 2013 US Congressional International Conservation Gala Dinner held in Washington DC on the 18th September 2013

Key Note Address by H.E Madam Rhoda Peace Tumusiime,
Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture
African Union Commission on the Occasion of the Thirty Second General Conference of the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control (ISTRC), Khartoum, Sudan, 8 September 2013

REMARKS BY H.E. MRS RHODA PEACE TUMUSIIME
COMMISSIONER OF RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE
ON THE OCCASION OF THE AFRICAN AGRICULTURE STATUS REPORT BOOK LAUNCH
MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE, 4th SEPTEMBER, 2013
9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Honourable Jose Pacheco, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Mozambique
Honourable Ministers of other AU Member States
Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, VICe Chair AGRA Board
Ms. Jane Karuku, AGRA President
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I feel privileged to be part of this important occasion of the launch of the Africa Agriculture Status Report 2013: Focusing on Staple Crops.

I also feel happy to make a few remarks on the same.

1. The African Union Commission, through its Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture which I head, commends the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa for its support in the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme that was adopted by AU Heads of State in 2003 in Maputo where they committed to allocate at least 10% of their annual national budgets to agriculture for achieving at least 6% Annual Agriculture Growth.

2. In January 2012, the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government declared 2014 The AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security that will also be coinciding with the 10 years of CAADP. We call upon all of you to mobilise all stakeholders in the series of activities that the AU has lined up to mark 2014.

3. The partnership which the African Union Commission has with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa will further be strengthened through the Memorandum of Understanding which we will be signing as part of the programme of the African Green Revolution Forum 2013. We will be committing ourselves to work more closely together.

4. This book brings out a number of success stories on input and output markets and as the book notes, the right use of appropriate technologies and innovations, resulting from research and policies gives a higher potential to improve the use of factors of production for increasing agricultural production, productivity, food and nutrition security and, indeed, this will lead to poverty eradication through better access to markets. As you saw from the video, majority of our people depend on agriculture. If you have over 70% of the population depending on this sector, then, as the book indicates, this is the sector to invest in if one is to lift them out of poverty and deliver them prosperity.

5. I appreciate the fact that a Chapter is dedicated to women and youth, climate change smart agriculture, use of ICT, agricultural education and training, access to finance among other cross cutting issues.

6. Therefore, this Status Report that we are launching today is timely and will respond to the needs for our policy makers to be adequately informed for setting the appropriate policy priorities for the Development of Africa’s Agriculture and ensures that all these effort are done within the CAADP Framework through sharing experiences from best practices and success stories across the continent. I commend the work of AGRA, Jane, in leading the effort that culminated in this valuable report, with your very capable team. I hope we should be able to chart a way forward together to get this data and information for policy makers and practitioners.

7. I am glad that this work of bringing out success stories and experience sharing has been undertaken through the framework of CAADP which we all subscribe to

Thank you.