By Adam Green – 16 May 2013
Agricultural imports are on the rise, as African economies struggle to meet growing demand
A rising middle class, expanding population and stagnant local agricultural production are driving up Africa’s food imports. Bad luck is partly to blame. Weather-related damage has hit rice crops in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger and Madagascar. Foot and mouth disease has hurt Egypt’s bovine sector, and cassava – one of Africa’s major offerings to world agricultural trade – is now being felled by a fast-spreading virus. Policy volatility is also at fault. Nigeria – Africa’s largest rice importer – announced a heightening of import taxes last year which prompted a sudden rise in purchases. And across Africa, weak infrastructure hinders agri-markets.
Rising imports are also a consequence of wealth and one of its quickest effects: a taste for protein. Poultry import growth last year was around…
View original post 582 more words
Dr. Bukar Ali USMAN, mni 