How the government is anticipating the food crisis during and after the Covid-19 pandemic
With the current health crisis caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, questions of survival are calling on national and local authorities in our country, particularly the food crisis. Some NGO leaders warn that our country would be under the threat of a food crisis. Fortunately, the government is reassuring and its strategy can be read according to a coordinated approach in two areas, namely: good management of imports and boosting local production. With regard to imported products, the Public Authorities grant tax and administrative facilities to importers. The Ministry of Commerce is on the front line: both to control prices and to control stocks. With regard to local production, the government has been aware for decades (since the time of the "Green Revolution") that it is only by controlling local production that price control can be ensured , quantities or even distributions. Thus, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) in the 2020 agricultural campaign intends to strengthen the agricultural resilience of the country. As a result, MINADER has developed an action plan based on four axes for the current campaign. This will reduce the risk of food shortages through the development of short-cycle food crops. To this end, provision is made for farmers to receive 1,410,000 certified cassava cuttings, or 1,649 tonnes of certified maize seeds. Rainfed rice production should be intensified thanks to the 60 tonnes of seeds to be distributed to producers. More than 1,500,000 banana plants will be given to producers as well as 200 tonnes of potato seeds. Support for the development of tomatoes, vegetables and other vegetable crops as well as seeds and phytosanitary products is not to be outdone.
