Agriculture
Agriculture has been the primary economic activity of the African topography. It is also the sector that employs more than half of Africa’s workforce. Take for instance the case of smallholder farmers who comprise 60 percent of the population in low-income African countries. The continent’s rich landscape, fertile soil and fairly predictable weather have played a major role in making agriculture an essential part.
In Focus
In Focus
- Important crops include banana, coffee, corn, wheat, rice, tobacco, maize, cassava and legumes. Corn is calculated to have the widest distribution and is grown in virtually all ecological zones.
- Cocoa, maize, rice, coffee and soybeans belong to the top 5 traded agro commodities from different countries of Africa. Tea, cotton, vegetables and fruits also find major markets overseas.
- Sudan and South Africa are considered to be the African countries with the largest agricultural areas devoting around 113 million and 96 million hectares of land.
- Investments by MNCs, private firms and international governments bring in research and innovation to the field and to improve produce quality among others.
- Africa's agricultural exports are focused on four major markets: Western Europe, South and East Asia, the Middle East, and North America.
Opportunities
Opportunities
- Africa has one of the most extensive tracts of arable land in the world. Coupled with the huge labor force employed in agriculture and an ever-growing demand for adequate food supply, Africa has all the necessary pre-requisites for ushering in a revolution in agriculture and food security.
- Investment opportunities abound in areas such as irrigation systems, mechanization, storage facilities etc.
- With the threat of climate change and global warming looming large over the world, technological innovation has become the need of the hour to utilize the full potential of African agricultural landscape.