End non-tariff barriers, governments told
Eastern African countries should smash non-tariff barriers to cut transactional costs in the grain trade.
Economists and traders say by so doing agricultural production and food security in the region will be raised.
They criticised governments for spending a lot of resources on increasing food productivity without improving trade and marketing of food crops.
“Although governments may argue that the removal of non-tariff barriers may result in national food insecurity, farmers should, however, be allowed to trade and explore opportunities available across the region,”
Dr Sylvester Oikeh, project manager of the Kenya-based Africa Agricultural Technology Foundation, told the third Eastern Africa grain trade conference in Dar es Salaam on Friday.
Another agricultural expert, Mr John Magnay, called for an establishment of a clear regional policy to streamline cereal trade rather than banning it.
“The food crisis that we see in Kenya, Ethiopia and other countries in the region has got nothing to do with food production capacities of farmers in the region.
It’s unfortunate that we still see governments intervening in grain trading across the countries. Governments have to do away with issues of grain export and import bans,” he said.
Economic and Social Research Foundation executive director Bohela Lunogelo urged the region to formulate a common food security framework to facilitate public-private partnership in addressing demand and supply matters in the grain trade.
Source: The Citizen