Another US programme to boost agric

Story: Boahene Asamoah Lucy & Adoma Yeboah
THE United States (US) Secretary of State, Dr Condolezza Rice, has announced an exchange programme between the US and Africa to boost the agricultural sector of African economies.
The programme will sponsor 10 candidates from six eligible African countries to study agriculture in 10 prestigious universities in the US under the African Growth, Competitive and Diversification Act.
Addressing delegates at the 6th Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) Forum in Accra via a recorded televised message, Dr Rice stated that under the African Growth, Competitive and Diversification Act it would ensure that Africa’s agricultural products became competitive on the global market, through the acquisition of skills and knowledge in modern agriculture from American universities.
Addressing delegates at the 6th Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) Forum in Accra via a recorded televised message, Dr Rice said the new initiative was aimed at further deepening the partnership between the United States and Africa.
She said “the partnership between US and Africa will continue to change and be adapted to benefit trade with Africa” adding that both continents shared a common history.
Dr Rice stated that the US government had over the past years undertaken many initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and enhancing trade with Africa, and mentioned AGOA, the Malaria and HIV/AIDS initiatives by the US government.
She said the challenges facing most African countries was that of economic freedom, and expressed the hope that the partnership between the US and Africa would yield the results in the area of economic freedom.
The Secretary of State said Africa was a continent of hope and opportunity in spite of some trouble spots on the continent.
The Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) of 2000 is the cornerstone of the US trade and investment policy with sub-Saharan Africa.
The US Congress amended the Act last year to improve and expand preferential access to beneficiary countries, which are mainly reforming countries, to help reduce barriers to trade, increase exports, create jobs and expand business opportunities for African and U.S. entrepreneurs.
Thirty-eight of the 48 sub-Saharan African countries are eligible for AGOA, with post-war Liberia being added to the list in January this year.