Harare, (New Ziana) — Senior officials from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) responsible for agriculture, food security, fisheries and aquaculture have convened in Victoria Falls ahead of the Ministerial Meeting set for Friday, to deliberate on strategies aimed at strengthening regional food security and advancing the blue economy.
‎In a statement, the regional bloc said the high-level meeting brings together policymakers and technical experts from across the region at a time when Southern Africa continues to grapple with the effects of climate change, animal diseases, and global economic disruptions affecting agricultural production and food systems.
‎The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Prof. Obert Jiri, said the meeting had been convened at a critical time for the region.
‎He noted that no single SADC member state could independently overcome challenges such as food insecurity, low agricultural productivity, and pressures facing the fisheries sector.
‎Prof. Jiri highlighted several pressing issues affecting the region, including climate-induced shocks, transboundary animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, and disruptions in global agricultural input supply chains caused by geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
‎”The agenda before us reflects interconnected challenges that require collective regional solutions,” he said.
‎SADC Secretariat Director of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Fahari Marwa, urged member states to strengthen cooperation in order to build a safer, more resilient and prosperous region.
‎He emphasised the critical role of fisheries and aquaculture in enhancing food security, nutrition, employment creation and economic growth across Southern Africa.
‎He called for sustainable management of fisheries resources to help bridge the region’s fish supply gap and improve livelihoods.
‎The SADC official also underscored the importance of strengthening regional institutions that support agricultural resilience. He described the SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre as a vital resource for crop breeding and disaster response and urged member states to expedite the establishment of the Animal Genetic Resource Centre to bolster livestock development.
‎The outcomes of the senior officials’ meeting are expected to guide discussions during the upcoming Ministerial Meeting, where regional leaders will seek to adopt concrete measures to improve agricultural productivity, enhance food systems and strengthen resilience against emerging threats.
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