Nairobi — The East African Community has released its agenda for 2010 with agricultural development and food security topping the list covering the production and social sectors. EAC notes that this is aimed at making the regional bloc more efficient.

The EAC plans to study regional fertiliser production supported by the African Development Bank (ADB). This will be followed by a pilot regional fertiliser procurement facility for Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, to provide short to medium term solutions to fertilizer shortages and high prices of agricultural inputs.

EAC plans to maximise agricultural production and achieve food security with the first Special Summit on Climate Change and Food Security to be held in Arusha this month.

While addressing the inter-parliamentary seminar in Bujumbura last Friday, Jean Claude Nsengiyumva, the deputy secretary-general in charge of the Directorate of Productive and Social Sectors laid out the programmes for this year, challenges and previous achievements. The Directorate of Productive and Social Sectors covers a broad range of EAC programmes including agricultural development and food security, industry, labour, employment and immigration.

Others are gender, community development and civil society; education, science and technology culture and sports, health, energy, tourism and wildlife management; as well as environment.

According to Mr Nsengiyumva, industrialisation remains the major challenge for East African integration.

"Low industrialisation has caused our region to become a captive market for high value added goods and a wide range of second hand products from other parts of the world," he said.