Inter-regional trade can improve food security - SADC

Food gaps in some countries in the region could be filled through better inter-regional agricultural trade, said the latest Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministerial Brief on Food Security. "In most years, through the combination of national maize production and opening stocks, there are adequate maize supplies within SADC to meet the region's consumption requirements," the report said. South Africa was the only SADC country that generally met its requirements through domestic production, while countries like Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland "regularly need to import substantial amounts of maize to meet their annual requirements". Currently six countries in the region - Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland - are affected by food shortages brought on by a combination of drought and the impact of HIV/AIDS. "In all other countries the maize gap varies according to the season," the report noted. During 2000/01 there was poor maize production in a number of countries, notably South Africa "which typically produces about half of the total SADC maize", the ministerial brief observed. It added that last year (2001/02) production increased slightly at the regional level as well as in South Africa and Mozambique. However, there were considerable drops in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The ministerial brief said forecasts for the 2002/03 maize harvest "show a slight upward trend, except in Mozambique" and improved regional stock levels, especially in South Africa, "which can be traded within the region". Intra-SADC trade could go a long way towards improving food security in the region. However, this could only be achieved through better integration of trade policies. "Prior to the mid-1980s, most SADC countries had adopted inward development strategies and interventionist/protectionist trade policies. Since then, most countries have undertaken substantial trade policy reforms in line with market liberalisation and regional integration initiatives," the ministerial brief noted. Most governments had reduced trade-restricting practices in both tariff and non-tariff areas as part of comprehensive economic reform programmes. "Current trade policies in most SADC countries aim at developing competitive economies with export-led growth, by harmonising trade policies in line with the SADC Protocol on Trade and other regional and international trade agreements," the report added. However, while substantial steps to liberalise trade had been taken, "current policy falls short of the free trade ideal". "Many countries within SADC still impose some types of tariff, non-tariff and other technical barriers to agricultural trade. The SADC Protocol on Trade implies policy reforms to dismantle existing protectionist measures. It's implementation will increase economic growth in the region by directing scarce productive resources to their best uses," the ministerial brief said. It was therefore critical for every SADC country "to understand intra-SADC agricultural trade patterns and policies, and the associated challenges and implications" and benefits.