Govt commits to advancing agriculture and food security
THE Ministry of Agriculture has committed to advancing agriculture and food security.
This was communicated by the Ministry’s Principal Secretary (PS) Sydney Simelane during the Knowledge Management and Monitoring of Malabo Commitments Training Workshop held in Ezulwini Happy Valley Hotel.
The said workshop will run for three days and is organised and funded by the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) XP4 in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.
Simelane said knowledge management is the bedrock of effective decision-making and policy implementation in the agricultural sector.
“In today’s rapidly changing environment, the ability to capture, analyse, and apply knowledge is crucial for driving innovation and achieving sustainable development goals through Data-driven Decision Making,” he said.
In addition to that he said knowledge management involves capturing, organising, and analysing data and information related to agriculture.
By utilising data-driven insights, stakeholders in the agricultural sector can make informed decisions based on evidence and trends rather than relying on intuition or guesswork. This leads to more effective and efficient decision-making processes.
“Learning from past experiences knowledge management allows for the documentation and sharing of lessons learned from past experiences in agriculture,”
“By accessing this accumulated knowledge, stakeholders can avoid repeating mistakes, build on successful practices, and continuously improve their strategies and approaches. This iterative learning process is essential for driving innovation and progress in the sector” said the PS .
In addition he said enhanced communications where sharing of information and expertise among different stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.
This he said can be done by promoting collaboration and communication as it enables farmers, researchers, policymakers, and other actors to work together towards common goals, exchange best practices, and address challenges collectively.
“This collaborative approach leads to more holistic and sustainable solutions in agriculture,” he said.