Ethiopia’s agriculture sector continues to play a critical role in the country’s economic development, Minister of Agriculture Girma Amenti said during a third-quarter performance review held in the presence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Addressing the forum, Minister Girma highlighted that the sector has made significant strides over the past nine months of the 2017 Ethiopian fiscal year, contributing notably to national economic growth.
A key milestone of the Meher farming season was the cultivation of 20.5 million hectares of land—an increase of 3 million hectares compared to the previous year. Additionally, the country produced 15.2 million tonnes of wheat, boosting agricultural productivity.
The minister projected that the agriculture sector will account for 6.1 per cent of the nation’s targeted 8.4 per cent economic growth rate. He noted that crop production goals set for the period have been successfully met.
In the livestock sector, Girma pointed to tangible progress under the government’s “Bounty of the Basket” initiative, citing marked increases in the production of milk, eggs, poultry, honey, and fish.
These advancements, he said, have played a role in easing the cost of living and curbing inflation by improving food supply and price stability.
Moreover, the agriculture sector has contributed to Ethiopia’s foreign exchange earnings, generating $2.6 billion in export revenue over the past nine months.
