ADDIS ABABA- Ministry of Agriculture said it is estimating to witness an eight percent growth in agricultural production during this year’s (2019/20) harvest.
Essayas Lemma, Crop Development, Directorate Director at the Ministry told The Ethiopian Herald that over 12.7 million hectares of land were covered with various crops.
He added that the crop season has been a success in terms of production and productivity. “The Ministry will announce the exact amount of the harvest collected in the near future after cross-checking the report from different states,” he said.
But, the estimate is that 339 million quintals of crop have been collected, which shows an eight percent increase from the previous year.
Overall, this year’s harvest performance is a success considering the desert locust invasion and the untimely rainfall during harvesting which affected production.
However, the strong integration and cooperation of the ministry with stakeholders and farmers have enabled it to minimize the damage, he added.
The Ministry is working closely with concerned bodies to increase next year’s production and productivity.
The Ministry is also sponsoring research to deal with the issues of locust invasion and untimely rainfall.
The Ethiopian Herald February 27/2020
BY MULATU BELACHEW
