The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has organised a Food and Agricultural Marketing Information System (FAMIS) workshop in Lusaka.
More than 200 stakeholders in the agriculture sector would attend the workshop that
would mark the unveiling of FAMIS.
The stakeholders sensitization workshop, which will be held in Lusaka, is aimed at
sensitising stakeholders on the usage and management of the market intelligence
system.
The FAMIS, which is designed by COMESA, is aimed at bridging the information gaps in
agricultural markets and seeks to enhance trade facilitation through the provision
of reliable and accurate market information on key agricultural commodities and
trade related issues through-out the COMESA region.
COMESA Public Relations Officer Mweusi Karake told ZANIS in a statement that FAMIS
will feature key information on competitive agricultural commodities in the COMESA
region.
Mr Karake noted that the facility will also provide users with information on key
policy, custom procedures and other related issues affecting trade among COMESA
member states.
He added that the users of FAMIS will also benefit immensely from a timely and
transparent price discovery system and a large economic trading space as the FAMIS
will bring the whole region within reach.
Mr Karake stated that COMESA recognises that one of the major impediments to trade
growth and facilitation is limited availability of market information and intelligence to serve its traders within reliable and accurate data to link buyer to seller and surplus to deficit areas of demand.
He has since assured COMESA member states that COMESA will reduce market barriers
and create accessible and workable market strategies for its stakeholders
through-out the region.
This is commendable, COMESA. For a long time most small scale farmers/some countries as well have been exploited for lack of knowledge. Well functioning markets especially where information network is fully developed are a precursor for economic growth. I hope it will be expertly managed for the development of the member states, down to the poor farmer in the villages.