APPG AgDev underscores need to address spiking price of fertilisers in Africa

Addis Ababa, July 19, 2022 (FBC) – Ambassador of Ethiopia to the UK, Teferi Melesse addressed the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture at the House of Lords yesterday and briefed them on the efforts of Ethiopia to ensure food security through a coordinated agricultural mechanism, including cluster farming and agroforestry.

Despite the effort of the nation to ensure food security this fiscal year, the Ambassador stated, the breakout of climate-induced drought in the subregion has caused considerable devastation to societies’ livelihoods. Explaining the long-term approach to responding to the crisis, he advised parliamentarians to encourage their government to help unlock the potential of those countries in the sub-region to produce their consumption.

He emphasized the potential of Ethiopia to feed itself and the population of neighbouring countries if it gets the necessary support to fully harness its land resources while calling on parliamentarians to encourage the UK government to take the lead in the G20 and other platforms in endorsing the call for the immediate cancellation of debt for developing countries to allow them to deal with the drought and other crises with undivided attention.

Parliamentarians concurred with the Ambassador on the need to cancel debts to enable economically fragile countries to get through the ongoing global food crisis.

They also underscored the need to address the spiking price of fertilisers in the continent for it is fundamental to an increased agricultural output while calling on developed nations to provide the necessary finance not just to support the production of fertilisers within the continent but also to enable farmers to buy what is produced in the continent.