characteristics of ethiopian agriculture

For northwest and central Ethiopia, fertilizer usage determinants are estimated simultaneously with technology-specific production functions. Ensete flour constitutes the staple food of the local people. In fact, over 50% of the daily caloric intake of an average household is from wheat, sorghum, and corn. Ethiopia: Urban Agriculture and Poverty Alleviation. In addition to red meat, there are emerging opportunities in chicken, egg, and dairy production and processing. [7], Agricultural productivity under the Derg continued to decline. Potential niche market for wheat and soybean exports. Download. [7] These soils are found in both the northern and the southern highlands in areas with poor drainage. The importance of smallholder farming is increasingly recognized in rural areas where increased crop productivity and market participation can effectively improve their dietary diversity and nutrition quality. Feed manufacturing, feed ingredients and feed milling equipment. These types of soils are found in much of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR). It accounts for nearly 80% of the land under cultivation and employs 60% of the rural workforce, most of which work on less than one hectare of land. Yet, information regarding its extent, distribution, causes, and lime requirement at a scale relevant to subsistence farming systems is still lacking. Ethiopia's development plan has laid out enhancing agricultural production and productivity as one of the . At the moment, there are a few U.S. and foreign firms that have partnered with local companies in the milk business, which has considerable room for growth, as milk consumption is still very low. Tenant farmers in southern Ethiopia, where the average tenancy was as high as 55% and rural elites exploited farmers, welcomed the land reform. However, even with this anticipated increase in chicken meat production, demand is expected to outstrip supply, thereby creating potential opportunities for imports. During 1983-84 the Ministry of Agriculture used "food for work" projects to raise 65 million tree seedlings, plant 18,000 hectares of land, and terrace 9,500 hectares of land. The Blue Nile River. Grains are the most important field crops and the chief element in the diet of most Ethiopians. Washington, DC 20230. Commercial agriculture using the river basins, such as the Awash Basin, is a recent phenomenon. Production is overwhelmingly of a subsistence nature, and a large part of commodity exports are provided by the small agricultural cash-crop sector. Since then, export earnings from this sector have grown to about US$65 million in 200607 and are projected to double over the next few years. There may also be future opportunities for equipment and systems to process these commodities. The GOE has an ambitious plan to attain wheat self-sufficiency and halt importations. The chicken business also shows promising opportunities. However, the expected level was not achieved. Top 3 Exported Goods (2021): Coffee & Spices, Vegetables, and Oil Seeds. The manufacturing sector plays a marginal role in employment generation, exports, output, and inter-sectoral linkages. fruit crops, stimulant crops and sugar cane are cultivated by farmers and other agricultural sectors in Ethiopia. [7], Although the issue of land reform was not addressed until the Ethiopian Revolution in 1974, the government had tried to introduce programs to improve the condition of farmers. Official websites use .gov Consequently, individual holdings were frequently far smaller than the permitted maximum allotment of ten hectares. Regular and reliable harvests helped generate stable tax income that led to relatively strong governmental structures that were ultimately the reason that Ethiopia was the only country not to be colonized in the late-nineteenth century Scramble for Africa apart from Liberia. [7], Ethiopia's estimated livestock population is often said to be the largest in Africa. The contribution of agriculture to growth in the manufacturing and services sectors was not significant between 1978 and 1998. For the foreseeable future, the demand for cotton is expected to outstrip local supplies, making imports necessary. U.S. Department of Commerce Of the 25 World Reference Base/FAO soil orders, 17 exist in Ethiopia. Jorge Morales Pedraza. Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute (EIAR), Ethiopian Trading Business Corporation (ETBC). It features and analyzes the country's agricultural progress from 1960s to date, and some . In view of this, a study was conducted to characterize the landscape features and related biophysical settings and to identify the local soil . Agron., 16: 180-195. . Because most of the lowlands lack adequate rainfall, cotton cultivation depends largely on irrigation. At the same time, to accelerate the countrys agricultural development, the government established the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) to address systemic bottlenecks in the agriculture sector by supporting and enhancing the capability of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and other public, private, and non-governmental implementing partners. APDF readeris available from Adobe Systems Incorporated. Though the raising of livestock always has been largely a subsistence activity,[22] intensive, factory farm facilities are gaining in popularity and are present in Addis Ababa and Debre Zeit, run by Ethiopian agribusiness ELFORA. Since the 2000s, Ethiopia has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa. Young herders take their text books of the upcoming school year to the grazing grounds. Potential opportunities exist for sales of U.S. livestock genetics and chicken meat. [10], Until the 1974 revolution, Ethiopia had a complex land tenure system, which some have described as feudal. First, the recurring droughts had devastated the country's main areas where pulses and oilseeds were grown. These activities have contributed to higher yields and increased production of both crops and livestock. Land ownership is also a complicating factor. The Ethiopian Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Enterprise, which handled about 75 percent of Ethiopia's exports of fruits and vegetables in 198485, had to receive government subsidies because of losses. In addition, the GOE continues to invest heavily in the expansion of the sugar industry, which is slated to be privatized in the near future with the aim of become one of the top ten sugar producers in the world over the next decade. The northern parts of the highlands are almost devoid of trees. Food production had consistently declined throughout the 1980s. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS However, these cattle do relatively well under the traditional production system. However, production is constrained in part by outdated ginneries and limited availability of quality inputs, including seed, fertilizer, and pest control agents. Examining the characteristics of stakeholders in Lake Tana Sub-basin resource use, management and Governance -- 21. Only 15 percent of the roads are paved; this is a problem particularly in the highlands, where there are two rainy seasons causing many roads to be unusable for weeks at a time. Between 198485 and 198687, at the height of the drought, Ethiopia received more than 1.7 million tons of grain, about 14 percent of the total food aid for Africa. Agriculture. In addition, the GOE is looking to the agro-processing sector (also a best prospect sector detailed below) as one engine to spur future economic growth. The objective of the LSMS-ISA is to collect multi-topic panel household level data with a special focus on improving agriculture statistics and the link between . [7], During the imperial era, the government failed to implement widespread conservation measures, largely because the country's complex land tenure system stymied attempts to halt soil erosion and improve the land. In the coming decades, ensuring food security is one of the greatest challenges in Ethiopia. When you select "Accept all cookies," you're agreeing to let your browser store that data on your device so that we can provide you with a better, more relevant experience. The first, found in areas with relatively good drainage, consists of red-to-reddish-brown clayey loams that hold moisture and are well endowed with needed minerals, with the exception of phosphorus. In the dry lowlands, persistent winds also contribute to soil erosion. The economic plan prescribes the following comprehensive measures to overcome the challenges facing the agricultural sector: Enhance productivity of small-holder farmers and pastoralists through provision of modern inputs and services; Develop a legal framework that will allow farmers to lease land and to become shareholders in large commercial farms; Modernize livestock production through improving veterinary infrastructure, research and innovation, and establishing linkages with other industries; Establish effective linkages between agriculture producers and commodity markets as well as the commercial value chain; Encourage private sector investment in agricultural R&D and exploring PPPs to expand medium and large-scale irrigation infrastructure; and. Since the revolution, most commercial cotton has been grown on irrigated state farms, mostly in the Awash Valley area. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. To show other various factors (political, policy, cultural, religious, affected crop production and productivity in Ethiopia. There is considerable room for investment when considering that about 95 percent of Ethiopias crop production is rain fed. This paper analyzes and discusses how the newly adopted system is structured and operates, the characteristics of extension services, and the evaluation system employed in agricultural extension, and assesses the challenges and opportunities associated with the system. Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 19:04, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. The study sought to assess the role of smallholder farming in crop productivity and market access . Area, Production and Farm Management Practices (Private Peasant Holdings, Belg Season) 2020/2021 (2013 E.C.) The major binding constraints of the sector are insufficient yields due to inefficient provision of inputs and services, unclear land lease rights, limited investment in R&D and irrigation, marketing and logistics related problems, and lack of agriculture-specific financial services. To promote commercial-scale farming, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) created the Ethiopian Agricultural Land and Investment Administration Agency dedicated to overseeing any new large-scale commercial farm deals. [7] Since the fall of the Derg, there have been a number of initiatives to improve the food supply, which include research and training by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research. The MOA is supporting the development of the countrys livestock sector, which is one of the largest in Africa. Over the centuries, deforestation, overgrazing, and practices such as cultivation of slopes not suited to agriculture have eroded the soil, a situation that worsened considerably during the 1970s and 1980s, especially in Eritrea, Tigray, and parts of Gondar and Wollo. Section D. Grain consumption, especially for wheat and wheat-based products like bread and pasta, continues to climb as incomes rise and more people move to urban centers. A Review of Ethiopian Agriculture Roles Policy and Small Scale Farming . Background Understanding the landscape features of agricultural lands and soil management practices is pertinent to verify the potential and limitations of the soil resources; and devise relevant land management strategies. Consequently, Ethiopia became a net importer of grain worth about 243 million Birr annually from 198384 to, 198788. Local demand for meat, milk and eggs is growing as the economy and population grow. They are boiled, roasted, or included in a stew-like dish known as wot, which is sometimes a main dish and sometimes a supplementary food. An estimated 85 percent of the . As reviewed from different literatures household demographic characteristics, household resource endowments, social, cultural, infrastructural, institutional and economic factors influence the . The main objective of this review is to indicate the policy gaps in terms of access . A potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, grains, vegetables, and fruits. Ploughing the land using these tools is ambiguous and time-consuming. Some informal trade is most likely occurring in production areas located along borders. [7] According to the Central Statistical Agency (CSA), in 2008 the average Ethiopian farmer holds 1.2 hectares of land, with 55.13% of them holding less than 1.0 hectare. In Ethiopia, agricultural export development is done in livestock, grains, vegetables, fruits, and fruits. Most oilseeds are raised by small-scale farmers, but sesame was also grown by large-scale commercial farms before the era of land reform and the nationalization of agribusiness. [5] Ethiopia's livestock population is believed to be the largest in Africa, and in 20062007 livestock accounted for 10.6% of Ethiopia's export income, with leather and leather products making up 7.5% and live animals 3.1%. Accordingly, state farms received a large share of the country's resources for agriculture; from 1982 to 1990, this totaled about 43% of the government's agricultural investment. However, opponents of villagization argued that the scheme was disruptive to agricultural production because the government moved many farmers during the planting and harvesting seasons. Barley is grown mostly between 2,000 and 3,500 meters. As with many equatorial countries, the sun dictates time in Ethiopia. Demand for vegetables has stimulated truck farming around the main urban areas such as Addis Ababa and Asmera. Export sales of U.S. cotton are expected as demand increases. Prior to the Revolution, urbanization increased the demand for fruit, leading to the establishment of citrus orchards in areas with access to irrigation in Shewa, Arsi, Hararghe, and Eritrea. Please see below a summary of agricultural focus areas and objectives laid out in Ethiopias ten-year economic development plan (2021-2030). The contributions of agriculture in Ethiopia. The powers and duties of the MoA include: conservation and use of forest and wildlife resources, food security, water use and small-scale irrigation, monitoring events affecting agricultural development and early warning system . [31] ploughing the land to soften the land takes three months and from sowing and seedling to the harvesting of the crops requires three to four months. It focusses on Ethiopia and provides a broad overview of some of the key developments in agriculture. These figures varied from those provided by the World Bank, which estimated that cropland, pasture, and forestland accounted for 13%, 41%, and 25%, respectively, of the total land area in 1987. Moreover, the emperor's inability to implement meaningful land reform perpetuated a system in which aristocrats and the church owned most of the farmland and in which most farmers were tenants who had to provide as much as 50% of their crops as rent. The MPP included credit for the purchase of items such as fertilizers, improved seeds, and pesticides; innovative extension services; the establishment of cooperatives; and the provision of infrastructure, mainly water supply and all-weather roads. The two dominant agricultural systems in Ethiopia are the mixed agriculture of the highlands, where both crops and livestock production are integrated, and pastoralism in the lowlands. In the future, the government intends to work with the private sector to develop capacity to process some of these commodities, like fruits and vegetables, in order to add value and capture higher export prices. In addition, Ethiopia spent 341 million Birr on food purchases during the 1985-87 period. Wubne, Mulatu. Wubne, Mulatu. Land tenure rights as well as natural disasters, such as floods, hamper the countrys ability to quickly expand cotton production. Agriculture as a key element for the development of other sectors 3 3. According to the World Bank, agricultural production increased at an average annual rate of 2.1 percent between 1965 and 1973, while population increased at an average annual rate of 2.6 percent during the same period. The market is segmented by type into food crops, fruits, and vegetables. Agriculture, which constituted 46 percent of GDP and more than 80 percent of exports, is by far the most important economic activity in the Ethiopian economy. [7], Before the Ethiopian Revolution, pulses and oilseeds played an important role, second only to coffee, in the country's exports. Following their rise to power, on March 4, 1975, the Derg proclaimed their land reform program. The increased production coming from existing and anticipated investments in the local agro-processing sector, as well as imports, are expected to help satisfy this growing demand. Almost the entire rural population was involved in some way with animal husbandry, whose role included the provision of draft power, food, cash, transportation, fuel, and, especially in pastoral areas, social prestige. This modest increase, however, was not enough to offset a general decrease in GDP during the same period. 2. [23], Ethiopia has great potential for increased livestock production, both for local use and for export. That is why per hectare yield of crop is . Land Use Distribution and Change in Lake Tana Sub Basin -- 23. As a result, agriculture continued to grow, albeit below the population growth rate. processed food, beverages, and livestock products meat, milk, and eggs), as well as the textile/apparel and leather industries. In Ethiopia, agriculture is the mainstay of the majority of the population and major driver of the national economy. (2013). The high concentration of animals in the highlands, together with the fact that cattle are often kept for status, reduces the economic potential of Ethiopian livestock. During Derg rule, veterinary stations were opened at Bahir Dar, Bedele, and Bishoftu to provide treatment and vaccination services. This can be attributed to two factors. Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC), Textile Industry Development Institute (ETIDI), Ethiopian Cotton Producer, Ginners, and Exporters Association (ECPGEA). [7], Government attempts to implement land reform also created problems related to land fragmentation, insecurity of tenure, and shortages of farm inputs and tools. [7], Historically, Ethiopia was a rare exception in Sub-Saharan Africa, because of its special environmental circumstances, that enabled Ethiopian farmers to increase their productivity, for example by using ploughs. In Ethiopia 95% of the total area is cultivated by smallholder farmers and contribute 90% of the total agricultural output. Grain imports are almost exclusively limited to wheat, nearly all of which the GOEs state-trading arm (i.e., Ethiopian Trading Business Corporation) purchases off the international market and later distributes in the local market at a subsidized price. [2][3][4] Many other economic activities depend on agriculture, including marketing, processing, and export of agricultural products. After 1975 the revolutionary government used peasant associations to accelerate conservation work throughout rural areas. To make matters worse, during the 1972-74 drought and famine the imperial government refused to assist rural Ethiopians and tried to cover up the crisis by refusing international aid. Of an estimated 750,000 hectares of private commercial farms in operation at the time of the 1975 land proclamation, 67,000 hectares were converted into State Farms that, beginning in 1979, were operated by a new Ministry of State Farms. Camels also play a key role as pack animals in areas below 1,500 meters in elevation. The market for agriculture in Ethiopia is projected to register a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period, 2021-2026). Most of these farmers lived in the Ethiopian Highlands, mainly at elevations of 1,500 to 3,000 meters. Some estimates indicated that yields on peasant farms were higher than those on state farms. Matou, P., Y. Todo, et al. Grain production is one of the most important sub-sectors in the countrys agriculture-based economy. The expected growth from these agriculture-related industries offers numerous opportunities for agricultural input sales, such as tractors and harvesters, farm trucks, fertilizer, irrigation equipment, grain handling systems, food and livestock processing equipment, as well as cold storage facilities. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is the Ethiopian government ministry which oversees the agricultural and rural development policies of Ethiopia on a Federal level. Develop a legal framework for agriculture-specific financial services such as micro-lending, crop insurance and forward contracts. Agriculture in the Lake Tana Sub-Basin of Ethiopia -- 24. The GOE imposes an export ban on cereal grain and local prices are often higher than what they are on the international market. Peasant associations used 361 nurseries to plant 11,000 hectares of land in community forest. Investments in cotton production, as well as any other agricultural commodity, require considerable due diligence because of a variety of complicated issues, including landownership rights and the potential for conflict. Research on the constraints, characteristics, and performance of the enterprise sector in low-income countries is often constrained by scarcity . Characteristics of agricultural landscape features and local soil fertility management practices in Northwestern Amhara, Ethiopia. Agriculture, which constituted 46 percent of GDP and more than 80 percent of exports, is by far the most important economic activity in the Ethiopian economy.