Ethiopia, where the majority of its population directly or indirectly depends on the agricultural sector for their livelihood, has been implementing many activities to increase the productivity of the agricultural sector. A series of agricultural development activities supported by the government and international organizations have been implemented. These initiatives include the Comprehensive Agricultural Package Program and the Extension Program Implementation Department (EPID) implemented by previous governments, as well as the more recent Ethiopian Development Plan Guidelines, Agricultural Development Led Industrialization (ADLI), Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Program.
These agricultural sector reform programs have also recorded results that have boosted the country’s economy and improved the lives of the people, especially the farmers. Agricultural production has increased every year; data indicates that a significant number of people have been lifted out of poverty. It is also known that the measures taken to improve agricultural and rural development have been able to create many wealthy farmers.
However, these activities, when measured against Ethiopia’s potential in the agricultural sector, have not provided a reliable solution to the country’s food security, job creation, and economic growth, or to the problems of the sector. Agriculture has not been sustainably freed from backwardness and dependence on rain; it has remained far from using agricultural technologies extensively. There are many citizens living below the poverty line, yet. In general, many steps remain to be taken to realize the structural transformation of the economy.
The agricultural sector is one of the sectors that has received attention and recorded promising results since the national reform. The government’s attention to the sector has led to an increase in production and productivity every year. Among the factors that have contributed to this increase in production and productivity is the attention given to wheat development and the production that is being achieved.
This success has enabled the country to meet its wheat production needs and has also allowed it to be ranked among the countries that have achieved success in wheat production. The country’s ability to export wheat is another indication of its success in wheat cultivation. This success has also been recognized and acknowledged by international institutions.
The Agricola Medal awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) last year is a testament to this success. The African Development Bank has also repeatedly acknowledged and praised Ethiopia’s wheat development success.
The achievements in the agricultural sector, especially in wheat development, have been a major achievement worthy of national recognition. Last year, five Ethiopian institutions received the Achievement Award from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. One of these institutions is the Ministry of Agriculture, and wheat development is the main project that led the Ministry to the award.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the success recorded in the wheat development sector was made possible by the government’s commitment. Wheat development began five years ago, following a government strategic plan. Federal and regional leaders, as well as experts in the sector, have jointly designed a plan and discussed on this national issue.
The government has been implementing measures to modernize and expand the sector, such as providing billions of Birr in subsidies for inputs such as fertilizers, focusing on mechanization, and expanding the cluster farming system, which creates favorable conditions for mechanized farming. This effort has been growing every year, and it has been possible to produce wheat up to three times a year and supply it to the foreign market.
When the Prime Minister officially launched the wheat export program in Bale Zone, Oromia Region, in February 2023, he said, “The wheat export process that we have seen in Bale is the smallest success that Ethiopia should have. Because we have been demonstrating what we are doing and planning with the Green Legacy and the Renaissance Dam. Now, we have not only stopped importing wheat, but have also demonstrated to Ethiopians and the world what we intended to do by exporting wheat. We are proud to have proven the presumption ‘Ethiopia cannot get rid of wheat aid and export it’ erroneous.
“In Africa, including Ethiopia, more than 250 million people are in need of aid. This problem is a further initiative for development and makes us work hard to go to the extent to donate wheat under the name of ‘Ethiopian Aid’. Ethiopia will also play its part to alleviate the problem of the wheat market in the world.”
Assistant Professor Workalamahu Tassew, a lecturer and researcher at the College of Agriculture at Hawassa University, said that the wheat development work being carried out with great attention by the government has contributed significantly to the Ethiopian economy. According to him, wheat development contributes significantly to alleviating the wheat production shortage in Ethiopia. Since wheat is a product in demand in the global market, it also plays a major role in earning foreign exchange.
Mentioning that there are many technological options for wheat production, the assistant professor said that the practice of irrigating wheat in the summer was previously a rare practice. He added that irrigating wheat is a remarkable practice that should be strengthened further, saying, “The practice of irrigating wheat in the summer has increased more than double the production. This makes wheat a significant contribution to the country’s economy. Ethiopia is currently being recognized as a wheat producer internationally.”
Applauding that wheat cultivation is yielding good results, the assistant professor raised high concern; “Will the approach of carrying out the development with large and direct support of government make the process sustainable and reliable?” The issue needs to be adequately answered. “Wheat cultivation has achieved good results with great attention and participation from the government. However, the issue of whether wheat cultivation will continue to be sustainable and reliable in this situation raises questions,” he asked.
He recommended that private producers should enter the wheat cultivation business. If the products are profit-oriented; if they are carried out by the will and initiative of the community and the producers; the work will continue on its own; but if it is carried out with encouragement and support of government alone, it may not go far.
Therefore, if the government reduces its support and continues to provide technical support through cluster farming system, technology utilization, and access to credit, investors can enter the sector without fear; production will continue to grow and be sustainable, he explained adding, “The government should reduce its participation and the participation of individuals/investors should increase. This can increase wheat production beyond expectations.”
Noting that land availability is one of the important issues for private investors to enter wheat cultivation, the researcher explained that land preparation and an environment where investors can easily obtain land should be created. He also explained that it is necessary to simplify bureaucracy and provide incentives for investors (facilitating loans, providing tax breaks, providing technical support, etc.). In addition, it is necessary to allow producers to explore alternative market opportunities and sell.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed recently addressed the House of People’s Representatives on the achievements of wheat development. In his address, he said, “It is known that agriculture has seen a significant revival in recent years; this year it is expected to grow by 6.1%,” he said.
“Regarding wheat, as the honorable House is well aware, and as you will have seen when you recently went to your constituency, this year, more than 8.2 million hectares of land will be covered with wheat during the winter and summer. If the maximum production is forty quintals per hectare, the number will be higher. However, if we assume that it will be below forty, this year, at least three hundred million quintals of wheat will be produced from the 8.2 million hectares. This means that thirty thousand tons of wheat will be produced. Thirty thousand tons of wheat production means more than three times the production of the second largest producer in Africa. The second largest wheat producer produces about nine thousand tons. This means that we will harvest at least three times that amount.
“You all know how wheat was made fun of. Now it is becoming a commodity that everyone accepts. If we can achieve three hundred million quintals of wheat this year; if we do enough market and value addition work for that; our capacity to grow will expand accordingly.
“If we can maintain these achievements in the agricultural sector and work to improve the weaknesses we have encountered; if we can continue to expand, there is still a lot of opportunity to grow because we have a large land area, a lot of water and human capacity. Our production capacity in irrigation and summer has also increased significantly. The use of machinery and pumps has increased. Machinery, best seeds, and fertilizers also require additional work. In doing these, two key tasks await us as challenges. First, quality; second, we must increase productivity,” the Prime Minister stressed.
BY BACHA ZEWDIE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 3 DECEMBER 2024
