537. Stakeholders confirmed agriculture’s pre-eminent role in ensuring food security, promoting employment, alleviating poverty and raising rural incomes. They acknowledged that recent government initiatives in the sector have improved yields in selected crops. 538. Stakeholders nevertheless confirmed that agricultural productivity remains low because of limited investment in agriculture-related infrastructure like feeder roads, storage systems and irrigation. The sector depends largely on the vagaries of the weather for good performance because of the limited irrigation systems. 539. Stakeholders also noted that food production is not keeping pace with population growth, and malnutrition levels were reported to be high. Further, partly because of low agricultural productivity, the supply of agricultural raw materials to the manufacturing sector for processing is inadequate. This accounts, in part, for low levels of growth and employment in the manufacturing sector. 540. In addition, low levels of productivity, combined with low wages in the sector, have contributed to low agricultural export earnings and high levels of poverty, particularly in the rural areas. 541. According to stakeholders, the strategic thrusts for revamping agriculture and making it part of the mainstream economy are to: • Implement the existing, carefully considered policies and avoid frequent policy shifts. • Make agricultural production the priority in allocating resources. This implies increasing the budget for agriculture from the current budget of approximately 3 per cent to about 10 per cent (including agricultural subsidies and credit). • Place a high value on agriculture and sensitise society about the role of agriculture in the nation. Farmers need to be held in high esteem and be recognised. • Support the establishment of farmers’ associations and cooperatives to champion the interests of the sector. • Extend the area under sustainable land management and expand reliable water control systems. • Improve rural infrastructure and access to markets. • Increase food supply and reduce hunger and agricultural emergencies while guaranteeing prices for agricultural products. • Improve procurement. • Distribute effectively the assorted fertilizers, improved seedlings, agrochemicals and vaccines that farmers throughout the country need. 165