Ethiopia is making significant strides towards achieving food sovereignty, with a remarkable 7.7 million hectares of land dedicated to wheat production this year, announced State Minister for Agriculture, Melese Mekonnen (PhD). This ambitious undertaking forms a key part of a broader national strategy aimed at substantially reducing the country's dependence on wheat imports, which currently cost the Ethiopian economy approximately $1 billion annually.
In a determined effort to enhance agricultural productivity and ensure robust food security for its citizens, the Ministry of Agriculture has formulated a comprehensive ten-year strategic plan. This plan is closely aligned with the nation’s homegrown economic reform agenda, signaling a unified approach to national development.
A central pillar of this strategic plan is a strong emphasis on significantly boosting both wheat production and overall productivity. The goal is clear: to effectively replace costly international imports with high-quality, domestically grown wheat, according to the State Minister for Agriculture.
“Thus far, we are committed to ensuring a widespread increase in our productivity through the strategic expansion of wheat clusters across Ethiopia,” affirmed State Minister Melese, underscoring the government’s strong commitment to fostering agricultural innovation and sustained growth within the sector.
This impactful initiative is projected to provide a significant boost to local economies and empower Ethiopian farmers. This will be achieved by actively promoting cooperative farming practices within specifically designated wheat clusters, explained Melese, the State Minister for Agriculture.
Further bolstering this national endeavor, Dessalegn Duguma, Senior Director of the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), highlighted the critical role of agricultural commercialization in the ongoing modernization of the sector.
Senior Director Dessalegn noted an impressive productivity target of 325 million quintals for the current fiscal year. He emphasized that this ambitious goal reflects a concerted and nationwide effort to enhance both the quality and the overall quantity of agricultural outputs.
Dessalegn further emphasized the active role of his Institute in raising awareness and effectively mobilizing farmers and all relevant stakeholders to actively engage in productive wheat cluster farming initiatives.
He also highlighted that this grassroots-driven approach seeks to unite communities around the shared and vital goals of achieving sustainability and complete self-sufficiency in national food production.
By strategically fostering strong collaboration among farmers, local government bodies, and various agricultural organizations, Ethiopia aims to cultivate a robust and resilient agricultural sector. This sector will be capable of effectively meeting the nation’s food needs in the shortest possible timeframe.
As Ethiopia embarks on this pivotal journey towards greater agricultural independence, the focused emphasis on wheat production not only directly addresses immediate and pressing food security concerns but also lays a strong and stable groundwork for significant long-term economic resilience.
With strategic planning and active community involvement firmly at the forefront of this national effort, the country is well-positioned to fundamentally transform its agricultural landscape and significantly reduce its long-standing dependency on foreign wheat imports, officials stated.
Adding to the positive outlook for the agricultural sector, it was also noted that the domestic production of rice has shown a notable increase over the past three years.