About 20 million farmers on the continent are expected to benefit from an emergency food production fund project by the African Development Bank this year.

The project, which seeks to avert any looming food crises that may come as a result of the global geopolitical tensions will ensure that staple foods are cultivated annually to serve the continent.

President of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina disclosed this to journalists in Accra at a breakfast meeting ahead of its annual meetings in Ghana.

“The Russian war in Ukraine has led to new challenges for Africa, especially in terms of high energy prices, high fertiliser prices, and disruption of food imports. With 30 million tonnes of food imports, especially wheat and maize that will not be coming from Russia and Ukraine. Africa faces a looming food crisis,” he said.

He cautioned that Africa does not need bowls in hand, but needs seeds in the ground.

He maintained that Africa should not be begging for food; but rather must produce its own food, adding that there is no dignity in begging for food.

“That is why the African Development Bank Group, and the African Union Commission, developed the Africa Emergency Food Production Plan. The plan will provide 20 million farmers with improved seeds and fertilisers, as well as other farm inputs, to produce 38 million metric tons of food, worth $12 billion.

This will include 11 million metric tons of wheat, 18 million metric tons of maize, 6 million metric tons of rice, and 2.5 million metric tons of soybeans” he assured.

The AfDB last week also launched a $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production Plan to help Africa produce food to avert a looming food crisis.