Dar-es-salaam Declaration on agriculture and Food security in the SADC Region, 15 May 2004
Below is the substantive text of the Declaration signed by SADC Heads of State or Government in Dar es Salaam
WE, the Heads of State or
Government…
Declare and commit ourselves to:
Promote agriculture as a pillar in our
national and regional development
strategies and programmes in order to
attain our short, medium, and longterm
objectives, on agriculture and
food security, and ensure
In the short term (2004 – 2006):
1. Provision of Key Agricultural
Inputs
- establish domestic support measures
to vulnerable smallholder
farmers to ensure access to key
agricultural inputs;
- institute measures for timeous
provision of quality seeds to vulnerable
farmers and to encourage
contract seed production and to
attain regional self-sufficiency by
2006;
- encourage exploitation of mineral
deposits for fertiliser production
and make maximum use of available
capacity to manufacture fertilizers
within the SADC region in
order to meet the demand of the
SADC region in 5 years time;
- ensure fair trade in fertilizers and
other agrochemicals;
- endeavour to support tillage services
through the promotion of
draught power, and the provision
of appropriate tillage equipment
and affordable mechanisation;
- encourage research and development
of affordable equipment and
farming implements;
- promote labour-saving and gender
sensitive technologies and improve
infrastructure in the rural areas;
- accelerate land policy reform initiatives,
share experiences of best
practices, and ensure equitable
access to land by women.
2. Agro-Industrial Development and
Processing
- encourage value addition to primary
agricultural products through
agro-processing, storage and packaging;
- promote non-farm agricultural
income-generating activities; and
- support development of agro-business
entrepreneurship and other
skills to enhance agroprocessing.
3. Crop and Livestock Pests and
Diseases
- revitalise national control measures
of migratory pests and diseases;
- strengthen surveillance, control,
eradication and information sharing
on trans-boundary pests and
diseases of plants and animals;
- develop and implement strategies
and programmes for prevention
and progressive control to eradicate
transboundary animal diseases;
and
- develop comprehensive national
Tsetse and Trypanosomosis control
and eradication programmes.
4. Crop, Livestock and Fisheries
Production
- increase production of drought tolerant
crops such as sorghums, millets,
cassava and other root crops
as well as disease resistant crops;
- establish and develop proper storage
and preservation facilities at
the household, national and
regional levels;
- increase production of short cycle
stocks, such as poultry, small
ruminants and piggery; and
- increase aquaculture and marine
farming, and improve fish stock
management and fish product
quality through pre and post harvest
handling, processing and
storage, in accordance with the
SADC Protocol on Fisheries.
5. Water Management
and Irrigation
- consider allocating a substantial
part of the agricultural budget for
water management and irrigation
development;
- develop appropriate programmes
to improve flood and drought mitigation;
- develop water harvesting technologies,
flood control, and strategic
water storage infrastructures;
- develop and implement policies
aimed at attracting investments
from the private sector;
- accelerate implementation of
transboundary water resources
development and management
policies and programmes;
- strengthen capacity in irrigation;
and
- facilitate inter basin water transfers
within the framework of the
SADC Revised Protocol on
Shared Watercourses.
In the medium to long term (2004 –
2010) ensure:
1. Sustainable Use and Management
of Natural Resources
- promote conservation, management
and sustainable utilisation of
plants and animals, including fisheries,
forestry and wildlife;
- implement policy and legal
reforms to monitor and curtail
illegal harvesting and export of
natural resources; and
- harmonise and accelerate implementation
of natural resources
management policies and programmes
and increase investment
in processing of natural resources
products.
2. Disaster Preparedness
- strengthen national early warning
systems;
- enhance vulnerability monitoring
capabilities;
- develop a Regional Integrated
Agricultural Information System;
and
- consider the establishment of a
Regional Food Reserve Facility.
3. Research, Technology
Development and Dissemination
- strengthen research and extension
services in order to facilitate the
development and transfer of technologies;
- revamp extension services
through recruitment, re-training
and retention of extension workers
and development of farmer
skills; and
- enhance development of crop
varieties and animal breeds that
are tolerant to and perform better
under prevailing physical environmental
conditions.
4. Private Sector Involvement in
Agriculture and Rural Development
Institute support mechanisms aimed at
strengthening private sector involvement in agriculture and rural development.
5.Market Access
- ensure that a significant percentage
of national budgetary
resources are allocated for rural
physical infrastructure development;
- establish price stabilization mechanisms
to protect both smallholder
producers and consumers in
accordance with WTO provisions
on domestic support for agriculture;
- strengthen rules and disciplines
governing trade in agriculture
through the implementation of the
SADC Trade Protocol;
- expedite harmonization and
implementation of Sanitary and
Phytosanitary measures to the
required international standards;
- support voluntary farmer organisations
and create opportunities
for them to get into the value
adding chain;
- call upon developed countries to
eliminate trade-distorting agricultural
subsidies; and
- adopt measures to increase access
of agricultural products into the
markets of developed countries.
6.Agricultural Financing and
Investment
- progressively increase budgetary
allocations for agriculture to at
least 10% of the national total
budgets as recommended in the
African Union Declaration on
Agriculture and Food Security in
Africa July 2003;
- increase the establishment and use
of rural financial intermediaries;
and
- investigate the establishment of
an Agricultural Development
Bank/Fund.
7. Training and Human Resource
Development
enhance the capacity of professionals
and farmers in the region with emphasis
on farmer exchange programmes
and scholarships, for different specialisations.
8. Gender Equality
enhance gender mainstreaming, in
particular, repealing discriminatory
laws that prohibit access to finance,
land and other key agricultural
inputs.
9. Enhancing Human Health and
Mitigation of HIV and AIDS and
other Chronic Diseases
- mainstream policies and programmes
to promote human
health, combat HIV and AIDS in
agriculture and enhance natural
resources development; and
- promote research, production and
utilisation of non-traditional foods
that strengthen the immune system.
Implementation and Monitoring
In order to achieve the expected
results, instruct the SADC Integrated
Committee of Ministers to initiate
implementation of the Plan of Action
adopted at this Extraordinary
Summit and to monitor progress
accordingly.
UNDERTAKE to review progress on
the implementation of this Declaration
at the end of every two (2) years from
the date of signature.
