Challenges facing agriculture in Africa

Increasing agricultural productivity remains a priority for sub-Saharan Africa, given the very low yields in the region and widespread hunger, poverty and malnutrition. Farmers are experiencing various unprecedented limitations to agricultural production. Some of these include:

• Low soil fertility – Due to overgrazing, deforestation, soil erosion and poor soil management practices on cultivated lands, the extent of soil degradation is increasing in many parts of Africa. Even in areas where the soil is not completely degraded, the consistent decline in fertility – for example erosion or loss of the water and nutrient-retention capacity of the soils – is leading to the same result. Some farmers abandon parts of the farm that are no longer productive and clear fresh fallow land.
• Low yields – Poor soil fertility management, use of low-yielding cultivars and infested seeds, lack of pest and disease management, lack of water-saving irrigation systems and very limited mechanisation, are among the main causes for low crop yields.
• Shortage of land – As the population continues to grow and the arable land continues to decrease, shortage of land and land fragmentation result in increasing land use intensity and land conflicts in many countries.
• Effects of climate change – Most agriculture in Africa is rainfed and farmers heavily rely on the rainfall patterns to plan their production activities. With the increasing unpredictability of rains in terms of amount and timing, crop failures and famine are becoming increasingly common. This can be attributed to the broader climate change factors, but also to poor water conservation measures at farm and household level.
• Limited access to safe and sustainable inputs – Seeds, fertilisers, sustainable pest and disease management agents and tools are not accessible to many farmers. Many farmers cannot find inputs in the nearby centers, this is especially the case for organic inputs such as resource-responsive and resistant seeds, biological agents and raw material for organic fertilizers. Low literacy levels and lack of knowledge make their effective use and application another challenge.
• Limited access to reliable markets – Most farmers do not have the know-ledge and experience to give value to their farm products. They hardly have access to better paying and reliable markets because they lack market information, are poorly linked with farmer markets and lack collaboration with other farmers and market partners. They also suffer low product quality and lack of consistency as well as poor road infrastructure.