Study On Staple Food Production Capacity In East African Countries

Food is essential for human existence,a significant source of income for agricultural laborers,and a crucial source of raw materials for industry.Ensuring national food security is the top priority for a country’s long-term peace and stability since having enough food is a requirement for a nation’s political stability,economic development,and people’s happiness.Food consumption has increased steadily along with the expansion of the world’s population.The COVID-19 pandemic,the prevalence of diseases and pests,the frequency of natural disasters,the effects of desertification and salinization,the market economy,an increase in cash crops,a decline in grain area,and other challenges make it more challenging to continuously increase grain production.Increasing the efficiency of production equipment and crop varieties are the most efficient ways to boost grain yield.This study has practical guiding value since the primary growing regions of staple crops in East African countries play a significant influence in the production of staple foods and regional stability.The production of staple grains in East African nations accounts for 78% of the continent’s overall output of these grains.The potential for grain production in East Africa is strongly impacted by its grain production situation,which also plays a significant role in improving grain production in the region.The quality of staple crops responds to changes in the consumer market as a result of ongoing variety structure optimization,increasing the production standards for staple crops ever-higher.This study examined the yield per unit area,total yield,and planting area of the major grain crops in East Africa from 1993 to 2022 using a variety of research methodologies,including literature analysis,comparison analysis,and network survey.The volume of main grain imported and exported,the amount of fertilizer used,and the total amount of fertilizer applied in East African nations from 2002 to 2021,as well as the use of machinery in East African countries from 2013 to 2022,were examined.The research on the food production capacity and supporting conditions of East African countries has produced the following findings from the standpoint of production mode,production technology,and input of production factors:The results showed that:(1)the main food crops in East African countries were maize,cassava,potato,wheat and rice.(2)On the whole,the unit yield and total yield of main grain crops in East African countries are at a low production level,among which cassava and potato are the highest,maize is higher,and wheat and rice are the lowest.(3)The planting area of staple grains in East African countries continues to increase,but the quality of the newly added land is relatively poor.Increasing the utilization rate of fertilizer and machinery is conducive to improving the yield of staple grains.(4)Through comparison,it is found that the food self-sufficiency rate of East African countries is poor,which leads to the increase of food import every year.Meanwhile,the food export volume of East African countries has little fluctuation and has been at a low level.(5)Due to economic globalization and rapid development of science and technology,East African countries’ demand for machinery and fertilizer will continue to grow.(6)Production technology has a significant impact on the yield of main grain crops.Advanced production technology and complete production system are of great help to tap the yield potential of main grain crops.