Agricultural and Livestock Policy nine general objectives are: Assure basic food security for the nation, and to improve national standards of nutrition by increasing output, quality and availability of food commodities. Increase food crops production through productivity and livestock growth will be encouraged to private sector. Improve standards in the rural areas through increased income generation from agricultural and livestock production, processing and marketing: encouraging exports of cash crops, livestock products and agricultural surpluses.

Les pays de l'Afrique du Sahel sont soumis, et particulièrement au cours des dernières décennies, aux à aléas climatiques et éprouvent de ce fait les plus grandes difficultés à assurer leur autosuffisance alimentaire. Les populations rurales confrontées à un milieu de plus en plus hostile délaissent les campagnes pour migrer et venir grossir les effectifs des populations urbaines non productives.

Historically, water management has not been easy in the sub-region. Three climate interlinked factors have had a direct influence on it. The first is the aridity that affects all countries of the sub-region. It is impressing to think that about ninety percent of the area of the Maghrebine countries receive less than 100 mm rainfall per year that is poorly distributed. The second is the huge evaporation from open water reservoirs. For example, annual losses due to canal evaporation reach 2 cubic km in Egypt. Another factor is drought.

The President-Elect of the African Farming Systems Research and Extension Network sent a request to the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa inviting Mr. G.I. Abalu, the Commission's Senior Regional Adviser in Food and Agricultural Policy and Planning to attend the Second International Symposium of the African Farming Systems Research and Extension Research Network.