DRC food security in jeopardy
2008-12-01 19:34
Maputo - Agricultural production in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be seriously affected by the current ongoing political violence, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo said in an interview in Maputo on Monday.
"Political violence and agricultural production are strange bedfellows and there is no doubt that food security in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be affected by the ongoing political crisis," said Obasanjo, who is a mediator in the political crisis.
Obasanjo, who is attending the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research's (CGIAR) annual general meeting in Maputo, refused to be drawn into commenting on the political developments in the DRC.
At the same meeting CGIAR chairperson Katherine Sierra told the four-day AGM that reduced funding due to the global financial crisis could lead to an increase in the price of cereals in the next five years.
"Our researchers have proven in the past that just small amounts of funding can boost crop yields," she said.
- SAPA