The COMESA Competition Commission has called for greater regional cooperation to eliminate trade barriers that continue to hinder the free flow of food across member states. The Commission emphasized that removing these restrictions is vital to ensuring food security, improving farmer welfare, and promoting fair competition across the 21-member regional bloc.
Agriculture remains a key pillar of the COMESA economy, contributing about 32% of the region’s GDP and providing employment to the majority of its population. Despite this, smallholder farmers continue to face significant challenges, including restrictive trade policies and unfair market practices by large multinational companies. The Commission underscored the need to address these barriers to enable smallholder farmers to benefit fully from regional trade opportunities.
Trade restrictions between member states, such as those recently seen among Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa, have worsened food insecurity by limiting cross-border supply. When one country experiences surplus production while another faces shortages, restrictive policies prevent the movement of food from areas of plenty to areas of need. This not only inflates food prices but also undermines efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty across the region.
The Commission urged governments to review their trade policies and eliminate measures that favor a few local interests at the expense of consumers and small producers. It highlighted that true regional integration can only be achieved when goods, especially food, move freely across borders without bureaucratic or protectionist barriers.
To protect smallholder farmers, the Commission has been actively monitoring and penalizing companies found guilty of abuse of dominance, unfair pricing, and other anti-competitive practices. It has also recommended stronger government investment in infrastructure, including better road networks and storage facilities, to empower farmers and reduce their dependence on exploitative middlemen.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a competitive, fair, and integrated regional market that supports both producers and consumers. It emphasized that unity among COMESA member states, combined with policy alignment and enforcement of fair competition laws, is essential to achieving sustainable food security and agricultural growth.
By removing trade barriers and empowering farmers, the COMESA region can unlock its full agricultural potential and ensure that food is both available and accessible to all its citizens.
