Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture said it will cut wheat import by more than half this budget year due to bumper harvest.
The country spends up to $500,000 per year to import wheat to cover its 17% to 40% local demand, Umer Hussen, Minister of Agriculture, said on Wednesday in a discussion with members of the House of People’s Representatives.
According to the minister, this year harvest is expected to be more than 100 million kg from 300,000 hectares of land and the output will help Ethiopia slash wheat import by more than half.
Two years ago, the country launched what is called “Integrated Wheat Production Enhancement Project” as part of an effort to reduce wheat importation.
The project aimed to boost the country’s wheat production in the coming three years through engaging in wide scale production across tropical and highland areas.
Currently, efforts are also being exerted to fully stop wheat importation within three to five years, Umer revealed.
The potential for wheat production in the tropical zones has identified and the result from the pilot project conducted in Afar and Oromia regional states shows that there is an ample opportunity for such products, he added.
