East African agriculture ministers have warned that the region continues to face shortages of wheat and edible oils despite growing production of key staple crops, highlighting structural weaknesses in food systems even as governments pursue an ambitious decade-long plan to transform agriculture.
The warning came after ministers responsible for agriculture and food security from the East African Community (EAC) concluded their 19th Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security, where they reviewed the bloc’s latest Regional Food Security Report and adopted a series of policy measures aimed at strengthening agricultural productivity and regional trade.
According to the report presented during the meeting, the region has recorded continued growth in the production of staple crops such as maize, bananas, Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, resulting in food surpluses across much of East Africa. However, ministers said wheat and edible oil production continues to lag behind demand, leaving the region dependent on imports for two of its most important food commodities.
“The Regional Food Security Report indicated continued growth in agricultural production and food surpluses for most staple crops across the region,” the EAC Secretariat said in a statement after the meeting. “However, the report also identified persistent deficits in wheat and oil production.”
In response, ministers directed EAC Partner States to strengthen food security data systems and harmonize regional reporting frameworks to improve planning and policymaking.
The findings underscore one of East Africa’s longstanding agricultural challenges: while many countries have increased production of traditional staples, they continue to rely heavily on imports to meet domestic demand for wheat, much of which is used for bread and other processed foods, and vegetable oils used by households and the food industry.
The ministers adopted the EAC Regional Agri-Food Systems Investment Plan (RASIP) 2026-2035, a long-term strategy designed to accelerate agricultural transformation through increased investment in irrigation, climate resilience, digital technologies, agricultural financing, infrastructure and cross-border trade.
Speaking during the meeting, the chairperson of the council and Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank K. Tumwebaze, said the region must build on recent production gains by investing in areas that improve resilience and productivity.
“We need increased investments in food security, irrigation, mechanization, seed systems, market access and strengthened agricultural data coordination,” Tumwebaze said.
He also urged Partner States to align their national agricultural investment plans with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration (2026-2035) to accelerate agricultural transformation across the region.
The EAC’s Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, said the region must focus on increasing value addition and improving farmers’ access to finance and markets.
He said greater investment in mechanization, digitalization, quality farm inputs and agricultural financing would be critical to boosting productivity, while noting that the EAC Secretariat had continued implementing regional agricultural programmes despite resource constraints.
Beyond crop production, ministers approved several regulatory measures intended to strengthen regional agricultural trade and food safety. These include standard operating procedures for crop inspection, environmental and human health risk assessment manuals, and a regional strategy for managing highly hazardous pesticides between 2026 and 2036.
The council also endorsed measures to strengthen implementation of the EAC Rice Development Strategy, including expanding mechanization, improving seed systems, supporting the newly operationalized EAC Rice Desk and reducing non-tariff barriers affecting regional rice trade.
In the livestock sector, ministers adopted regional guidelines on sharing epidemiological information on transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses, alongside a new Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control Strategic Framework covering 2026 to 2035.
The meeting also endorsed the creation of the Youth in Agri-Food Systems in EAC (YASE) Platform, intended to promote youth entrepreneurship and employment in agriculture through innovation and digital technologies.
The decisions come as East African governments seek to reduce food import bills, improve resilience against climate shocks and strengthen intra-regional agricultural trade. While production of several staple crops has improved in recent years, the continued shortages of wheat and edible oils highlight the region’s dependence on global commodity markets and the need for sustained investment in agricultural diversification and value addition.
The council said successful implementation of the new measures would depend on stronger collaboration among Partner States, the private sector, development partners and regional institutions.
