ADDIS ABABA–Since Ethiopia is endeavoring to improve productivity with the expansion of cluster farming, assembling agricultural mechanization locally has become country’s new investment opportunity, Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) announced.
MoA Minister Girma Amente (PhD) told local media that domestic mechanization assembly would open new investment opportunity as the nation’s agriculture sector has seen the ever expanding cluster farming.
Given the fact the Agriculture is one of the main contributors to nation food self-sufficiency goals, several reform activities have been undertaken by the government in which applying cluster farming is amongst them.
The cluster farming allowed farmers with similar agroecology and soil types, technology, and information to produce with same quality. Hence, it increased production capacity on various areas, he said.
During the first implementation phase of cluster farming under the Agriculture Transformation Agency, only 100,000 hectares of land was developed. Last year, the nation developed over 8.6 million hectare land while it implemented cluster farming on 12million hectare land this year, according to the minister.
Cluster farming which comprised about nine million farmers had produced for industry, export and economy using full package. According to survey, he said around five quintal per hectare difference registered between farmers that implement cluster farming.
Nonetheless, the lack of foreign currency, and insufficient provision (quantity and quality) remained a major challenge. Thus, the government has allowed importing equipment that are said to help modernize the agriculture through tax exemption.
Though the nation cultivated some 20million hectare in ‘Meher’ season, only 4 to 5million hectare lands (20%) was developed using Tractor. Thus, he mentioned the plan to produce the mechanization at domestic level.
Enhancing production capacity is the major plan of the coming year. Though the nation has gone long way, comparing with the production of maize and wheat with different countries, much more effort is still needed, Girma said.
Thus, utmost effort would be put to increase fruits, vegetables, animals and cropproduction, as to him.
In Ethiopia, agriculture contributes 76% or 2.9 billion USD to export market and supports job creation, ensure food self-sufficiency.
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2024
