East African Business Week

LILONGWE, MALAWI - Infrastructure, hidden administrative costs like export bans and curre ncy convertibility have dealt a blow to the intra Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) traffic, trade experts have underscored.
Coupled with lack of mutual trust and inability to join the COMESA Free Trade Area (FTA), the major obstacles are threatening the market of about 400 million people in the regional grouping.
"In spite of the common market, we are not trading among ourselves because the region is not yet connected and goods can't move freely," says Dr Chungu Mwila, the Chief Executive Officer Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA).   
"Not all member states like Uganda and Ethiopia are participating the COMESA FTA, and even some that are members of the FTA, are not major trading partners and there isn't much intra COMESA trade"
Mwila, an investment and trade expert; was among the key speakers at the 5th ACTESA Stakeholders Forum held in Lilongwe. Malawi last week
Although a COMESA member, Uganda is not yet part of the FTA, which allows duty free movement of goods. Uganda's Minister of Trade Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde, said recently that a Cabinet paper of Uganda's ascension to the COMESA FTA was underway.
ACTESA, is a specialized agency of COMESA established in 2009 to respond to the region's need to put in place a mechanism that would address the specific needs and requirements of small farmers to access markets for their produce.
In line with ACTESA's specific mandate of addressing regional food security challenges through improved competitiveness, Dr John Mukuka,  a Seed Development Expert, said a total of 25,000 metric tonnes of seed was produced under the EU funded COMESA Regional Agroinputs Programme (COMRAP).
Dr Mukuka said  25% of this seed will be further produced as certified seed in the 2011/12 to promote seed multiplication and boost production in the COMESA region.
Of this, 3401 of mainly maize and beans was produced in Uganda and 954 of wheat and beans were produced in Rwanda.
Mukuka said this will be further achieved through harmonization of seed laws and regulations in 19 member countries.
In his key note address at the ACTESA stakeholders forum, the Malawian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and water Development, Kingsley Namakhwa, said good policies coupled with political will can transform economies to achieve food and nutrition security.
"Long ago, Malawi was a primary beneficiary of food aid, Today, Malawi boast records bumper harvests for five consecutive years and is now considered a success story in the achievement of food security," Namakhawa said.
In the last agricultural season, Malawi registered a surplus maize production of 1.2 million metric tonnes.
"Instead of importing, food Malawi is now exporting to its neighbours. The achievement is mostly attributed to collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to implement growth strategies" the Minister said.
Despite the major obstacles to trade in the region, intra COMESA trade has significantly increased since the establishment of the FTA.