Agriculture experts have called on African governments to increase their budgetary allocation to agriculture.

According to the experts at the First African Agricultural Extension Week held in Gaborone, Botswana, African governments will be able to curb famine, malnutrition and poverty that plague the continent by ensuring increase in production.

Dr. Silim Nahdy, the current African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Service (AFAAS) Executive Director speaking at the conference which aimed at raising the profile of agricultural extension services, said that governments can do a lot more in increasing food production.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization however disclosed that with the world population now estimated at seven billion, more food production is needed to meet the need of the population by the time it gets to nine billion by 2050.

The Advisor on Agricultural Technology and Vocational Education New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) reaffirms out that it is the low funding of agriculture that propels African to import foodstuff.

The AFAAS board Chairman, Adolphus John, purported that AFAAS is aimed at increasing farmers’ awareness through advisory services, stressing that the unit require government support for effectiveness because the issue of national food security depend on it to become a reality.

He further explained that AFAAS is at the forefront of increasing farmers’ awareness through advisory service.