Plans in the works for new policy on sustainable farming |02 November 2012

The principal secretary for natural resources and industry Michael Nalletamby said this on Wednesday at the Seychelles Fishing Authority where he met New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) representatives during a debriefing session on the work they have been doing here over seven days.

He said to develop the country’s agricultural investment plan, Seychelles has approached several partners including Nepad.

“They were here to help us review and redevelop the policies and strategies of the agricultural sector,” said Mr Nalletamby.

He said while the team seeks to help, the policy position will have to come from Seychelles stakeholders.

They have been talking to stakeholders discussing issue to do with manpower, water and land among others  in the same way as officials from the ministry have been doing, he said.

Nepad is a development framework adopted by the African Union in Lusaka, Zambia in 2001. It is a radically new intervention spearheaded by African leaders to pursue new priorities and approaches to the political and socio-economic transformation of Africa and to enhance Africa’s growth, development and help the continent play a bigger role in the global economy.

The Nepad’s four-man mission, who arrived in Seychelles on October 24, was made up of  Martin Bwalya, Nicholas Sabwa, Serge Rwamasirabo and Professor Tom Hecht.

They have been working with a team of local experts in reviewing key policies and strategies which are expected to drive the agricultural and fisheries sectors with a view to improve and update them to become more effective for further development, modernisation and growth as well as to create a more credible, dynamic and sustainable level of food security and food sovereignty.