Dr Namanga Ngongi, President, Alliance for Green Revolution (AGRA) has tasked parliamentarians in Africa to build effective parliamentary support for agriculture in their respective countries.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Accra that the role of the various agricultural parliamentary committees was critical to the success of the “Green Revolution” in Africa.

Ngongi said parliamentarians could do a lot to develop agriculture given their role as law makers, who provide regulations and budgetary support.

He said the law makers could also play effective role by reaching out to their constituencies and in scrutinising public financing for agriculture.

Ngongi noted that to build an effective parliamentary support for agriculture priority should be put on involving members in the development and implementation of the “National Green Revolution activities.

The President said AGRA was working hard to achieve a uniquely “ African Green Revolution” which would put the smallholder farmers first while protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainability and advancing equity.
Ngongi said under the “Green Revolution” AGRA was targeting four main goals by 2020.

These include reduction in food insecurity by 50 per cent in at least 20 countries, doubling the incomes of 20 million smallholder families and putting at least 30 countries on track to attaining and sustaining the revolution.

He said seeking the legislative support has become imperative because millions of the African smallholder framers and their families are trapped in poverty, hunger and starvation.

“They lack good seeds, soil is depleted, no access to finance, no crop insurance in the face of climate change dangers and no government support or intervention.

“All that farmers are expected to have to boost their production, African farmers have done without and yet with all the odds, they still produce the food that feeds the continent,” he said