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The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Djibouti's Ministry of Agriculture and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) began on Tuesday (March 27th) to discuss ways to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty through agriculture.

Djibouti would like to set aside 10% of the national budget for agricultural development and achieve 6% annual agricultural growth, Djibouti's official La Nation reported.

Talks centred on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, created in 2003 by the Assembly of the African Union to improve food security and nutrition, as well as generate higher incomes for economies based on agriculture.

The programme "is an integral part of national efforts to promote growth of the agricultural sector and economic development," said Ministry of Agriculture Secretary General Idriss Abdou. It also takes into account regional issues, such as the availability of water resources and agricultural land, he said.

Abdou urged co-ordination at the regional level to effectively implement large-scale plans laid out by the government.