By Kassahun Chanie
Ethiopia's agricultural sector has reached a major milestone, producing a staggering 700 million quintals of key crops. This achievement, highlighted by a significant increase in wheat production, demonstrates the country's remarkable progress in food security. President Taye Atske Selassie disclosed this during the Joint Opening Session of the two Houses. Advancements in the agriculture sector has also seen an impressive annual growth rate of 6.9 percent for the 2016 fiscal year.
The figures revealed that out of a total of 230 million quintals of wheat, 122 million quintals were harvested, with 107 million quintals cultivated through irrigation methods. The President also noted that Ethiopia has experienced two distinct periods in its history where wheat exports were viable, attributing these successes not only to wheat but also to enhanced production efforts for rice and maize.
President Taye further elaborated on the agricultural transformation, indicating that the ability to cultivate wheat and horticultural products during both autumn and winter seasons, thanks to irrigation, signifies a pivotal shift in the sector. He pointed out the positive outcomes of the "Bounty of Basket or Yelemat Tirufat" Movement, which has fostered growth in various areas, including livestock, fishery, and honey production across the country.
The statistics were impressive: 607 thousand tonnes of meat, 208 thousand tonnes of poultry, 10 billion litres of milk, and 5.7 billion eggs were produced in the animal husbandry sector. Additionally, the beekeeping industry flourished, yielding 272,000 tonnes of honey, thereby creating new job opportunities and income sources for the local population.