African ministers of agriculture have adopted an 11-point resolution, calling on African heads of state and governments to remove taxes and other tariffs on fertilizer, local media reported on Tuesday.

Attending the one-day African Fertilizer Summit in Abuja on Monday, the ministers recognized that Africa needed a "Green Revolution" which is long overdue and yet constitutes the only way of getting farmers out of poverty, achieving food security and Millennium Development Goals.

By mid 2007, African Union (AU) member states and Regional Economic Communities should take appropriate measures to reduce the cost of fertilizer procurement at national and regional levels, they said.

The African governments must by mid 2007 take a concrete measures to specially address the fertilizer needs of women farmers and develop capacity of youths, farmer's associations civil society and private sector.

They resolved that AU member states should improve farmer's access to fertilizer by granting, with support of Africa's Development Partners (ADP) subsidies in favor of poor farmers.

The ministers said there should be immediate steps to accelerate investments in infrastructure, fiscal incentives and strengthen farmer organizations and private sectors.

They said that AU member states should take specific action to improve farmers' access to quality seeds, irrigation facilities, extension services, market information, soil nutrient testing and mapping to facilitate effective use of fertilizers.

The ministers said that the extensive fertilizer raw material resources on the continent were under utilized, adding that African member states must promote national and regional fertilizer production to capture a bigger market.

This, they said, should be supported by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (ADB), Regional Development Bank, Regional Economic Communities and Development Partners.

The ministers called on ADB with the support of ECA and African Union Commission to assume leadership to establish by 2007 an African fertilizer development mechanism that would meet the financing requirements of the various actions agreed upon by the summit.

They stressed the need to put in place a mechanism by the commission and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) to monitor the implementation of the resolutions.

More than 20 ministers of agriculture from the various countries on the continent attended the meeting tagged " Implementing the Priority Actions for Solving Africa's Fertilizer Crisis."

Source: Xinhua