PART TWO
Agriculture is still the pace setter of the Ethiopian economy and a source of the major export commodities from which the country obtains foreign exchange earnings. Export diversifications of agricultural commodities and increasing their volume and quality for marketing on world markets have proved to be a viable alternative to increase Ethiopia’s revenue in foreign exchange.
Over the last several decades, Ethiopia has depended on coffee, pulses and oil seeds to obtain foreign currency. It is therefore imperative to further diversify export of agricultural commodities by adding value to these products for better completion at the world market. The introduction of cut flowers, live animals, and horticulture products for export has earned the nation better foreign exchange but that is still at its lower scale compared to several Sub-Sahara African countries.
Ethiopia is now engaged in massive import substitution programs primarily in the agriculture sector. The country is now ready to fully produce wheat for local consumption and for export as well. This is a promising trend and is expected to grow over several decades.
The country is still importing edible oil which could have been produced locally. There are several ongoing attempts to produce food oil locally but still there is a long way to go before the country could be self-sufficient in edible oil and export it to the world market.
With a promising bumper harvest in cotton, the country can produce high quality garments that can even be exported. The industrial parks in the country are already exporting a considerable amount of garments and apparel to countries near and afar earning the nation a considerable amount of forex.
Cluster farming system that was introduced in various regions of the country have proved to be effective in increasing productivity per hectare as more crops are being produced in this way. Cluster farms can easily use agricultural modernization techniques and mechanization that is important to markedly reduce post-harvest losses
Ethiopia’s foreign trade through import substitution mechanisms is growing. Leather products and foot wear from Ethiopia have already proved to be marketable in large amounts and quality but the sector has still not developed to the desired level.
With the introduction of small scale and large scale irrigation schemes in various regions of the country, farmers have been able to produce 2 to 3 times a year including the main agricultural season. Ethiopia has so far utilized less than 3% of its total irrigation potentials which are generally evenly distributed across the country. Regions like Afar, Gambela and Benishangul and the SNNPRS have started to engage in irrigated farming focusing on the main marketable agricultural products which can also be exported.
Micro financing institutions across the country have already have the practice in providing loan to able farmers who can use the cash to purchase fertilizers and other agricultural inputs to enhance their productivity.
Profiting from Yelemat Trufat Development Campaign as the name tells is to be conducted through campaigns in which all the regions in the country are expected to participate. Conducting such development programs in the form of campaign, although possible could face challenges in terms of coordination with regions, zones and districts across the country. The issue of input provision and conducting the campaign along with the regular agricultural practices across the country requires strong managing skills and capacity building at all levels. Besides, it is important to create awareness creation sessions on the campaign so that all concerned will participate in a more meaningful and productive manner.
It is very important to develop simple booklets and manuals that could be readily used as reference for farmers when the DAs are not around. Moreover is good to develop agricultural demonstration plots in every village as farmers can replicate the good practices on their own homesteads and community owned orchards and vegetable gardens.
It is also important to link food production and diversification with the National Initiative for Green Legacy as one could complement the other in the entire food production cycle.
The Ethiopia Tamirt campaign, also known as the “Made in Ethiopia” initiative, is a government-led effort to promote the production and consumption of domestically manufactured goods. The campaign aims to boost the country’s industrial sector, create jobs, and reduce reliance on imported products. By fostering a sense of national pride and encouraging citizens to buy Ethiopian-made products, the initiative seeks to stimulate economic growth and development.
The major objectives of Ethiopian Tamirt Campaign include boosting the manufacturing sector to contribute significantly to Ethiopia’s GDP, generating employment opportunities in various industries, particularly for the youth, reducing dependency on imported goods by encouraging the production and consumption of local products through national import substitution programs, enhancing the quality and competitiveness of Ethiopian products in both local and international markets and foster a sense of pride among Ethiopians in their locally made products.
Key components of the campaign include, implementing policies that support local manufacturers, such as tax incentives and subsidies, improving infrastructure, including transportation and energy, to facilitate industrial growth, providing training and skills development programs for workers in the manufacturing sector, creating platforms for local producers to access domestic and international markets, conducing awareness campaigns to educate consumers on the benefits of buying locally made products.
The campaign is instrumental for diversifying Ethiopia’s economy by strengthening the manufacturing sector for creating numerous job opportunities, thereby reducing unemployment and underemployment rates. It will improve the trade balance by increasing exports and reducing imports and foster the development of various industries, including textiles, leather, and agro-processing. It will also contribute to promoting sustainable industrial practices that minimize environmental impact.
Although the sector is steadily growing, addressing the lack of adequate infrastructure that hampers industrial growth, ensuring local manufacturers have access to affordable financing options, meeting international quality standards to make Ethiopian products competitive in global markets, overcoming challenges in penetrating both domestic and international markets, keeping pace with technological advancements to enhance productivity and efficiency of the sector are some of the challenges that need to be addressed over time.
The above analysis clearly shows the complementarity among the various economic development plans that Ethiopia is currently conducting. What is therefore to be done to further accelerate the development of each sector to accelerate the economic development of the country?
In the first place, it is important to adhere to the Ten Years National Perspective and Home Grown National Economy policies that are currently under implementation. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the processes and results achieved is very important to maximize the performances in each area.
Second, it is important to measure the extent to which each component of the national development program is contributing to the promotion of the other sector.
Third, conducting environmental impact assessment on all current and future development interventions is of crucial importance to maintain the development of clean and green economy that grows with no interception. It is good news that the government is working on developing EIA strategy document to ensure the continuity of the development of the national economy with no interruption.
Fourth, the positive impact of the National Green Legacy Initiative must be assessed every year not only to measure the results but also to document the most outstanding success stories of the program for a learning process and for sharing with the rest of the world.
Fifth, it is important to establish and operational linkage between all stakeholders involved in developing the national economy of the country. This could include the Ministry of agriculture, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Climate Change and Environmental Protection Institute, Agricultural Transformation Agency, universities across the country and all stakeholders involved on issues related to the environment in the country and international partners.
Sixth, Ethiopian media outlets need to vigorously work on documenting, promoting and marketing on all the above mentioned campaigns and initiatives currently being conducted in the country.
Seventh, as Ethiopia is now effectively contributing to the mitigation of climate change, the nation needs to be supported by the international community of nations and the UN systems alike. The projects underway in the country require huge amount of fund that cannot be secure only by the efforts of the government.
Eighth, it is important to link all the above interventions with the development of Tourism Ethiopia as an important pillar of the national economic development with a particular emphasis on eco-tourism projects which are already established across the country. These projects are the products of the NGLI and provide an excellent situation for the promotion of the initiative.
Finally, the author of this article recommends that the necessary integration between the implementation of the programs is a guarantee for the success of each sector and the government must be supported in beefing up a national budget for the implementation of NGLI to maximize the outputs of all the initiatives. International and local NGOs, the private sector, and universities across the country need to take up joint initiatives in conducting extensive researches which primary focus on the National Green Legacy initiative and other campaigns that are recently under operation.
BY SOLOMON DIBABA
The Ethiopian Herald June 30/2024
