The rice sub-sector in East Africa, until recently not the focus of many policy makers, is set for a brighter future.
Implementation of the EAC-Kilimo Trust Project since 2019 is slowly enhancing competitiveness of the crop's value chain.
This emerged last week in Arusha during the tabling of the $91.7million East African Community (EAC) budget for 2021/2022 financial year.
The chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers Adan Mohamed who read the speech said the EAC-Kilimo Trust Project was progressing well.
It was launched in 2019 to enable locally produced rice in East Africa to competitively substitute over $300million worth of rice imports in the region.
Out of the $3.1million grant from Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (Agra), the EAC secretariat received $332,600 for the purpose.
He said for the 2021/2022 financial year the key priority for the agricultural sector will be increased productivity and intra-regional crop trade.
Others are promotion of value addition and agro-processing to strengthen capacities of reduction of post harvest losses.
During the 2021/2022 fiscal year, EAC intends to enhance competitiveness in the cotton, leather, automotive, fruits, vegetables and pharmaceuticals value chains.
To consolidate the effort, the region has embarked on the preparation of a five year EAC Industrial Policy Implementation Action Plan for 2022-2027.
In order to improve local production and access to medicines, the Community will draft the EAC Region Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Bill during 2021/2022.
Mr. Mohamed, who is the Kenya Cabinet Secretary for EAC Affairs, said efforts are underway to establish the EAC Development Fund (EAC-DF).
The facility will be tasked to mobilize resources from the funding agencies, development partners and donors from within and outside the bloc.
During the 2020/2021 alone, the EAC Secretariat signed financing agreements totalling over $100million in grants.
The bulk of the money was spent to support a range of the EAC projects and programmes as well as the EAC Covid-19 Response Plan.
Until late yesterday (Tuesday), the EAC budget proposals had not been debated at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) as required.
This followed two postponements of the plenary sittings scheduled for early yesterday and later Tuesday morning which could not be explained.
According to the EAC financial regulations, the budget estimates have to be tabled, debated and approved or otherwise before July 1st.
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