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Ethiopia imports 17 million quintals of wheat from abroad annually and for the nation suffering from a shortage of foreign exchange, such acquisition is not acceptable.
It is also observed that, since agriculture is a mainstay of the economy, the importation of agricultural products is a paradox.
Aware of this, to make the nation self-sufficient in food, the government is devoting its time and energy to producing wheat in vast areas of the country, both in the lowlands and in the highlands, through irrigation.
Daniel Muleta (PhD) works at the Ministry of Agriculture as Head of the Department for the Promotion of Wheat Irrigation Farms. While speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, he said that last year, it was possible to grow wheat on 20,000 hectares of land.
This year in the Oromia region alone, 300,000 farmers cultivated wheat on 16,0000 hectares of irrigated agricultural land and in the Amhara region, in the Koga irrigation project, wheat was grown on 5,950 hectares of land.
This year, in the first round of harvesting, it was planned to produce 5 million 75 thousand quintals of wheat and the harvest has been carried out since October 2020. From the Jima area in Oromia state and the Gode areas in Somali state , the wheat harvest is carried out.
In the second round, 3.5 million quintals of wheat are expected to be harvested by cultivating 100,000 hectares of land. Added to this, it is expected to harvest 2.5 million quintals of wheat growing on 245 thousand hectares of land.
As mentioned above, Ethiopia imports 17 million quintals of wheat annually and, according to this year’s plan, if 8.5 million quintals of wheat are harvested from the 245 thousand hectares planned, it will be possible to obtain the replacement of half of the imported wheat.
As for Daniel, in fiscal year 2021 it was planned to grow wheat on 300 thousand hectares of land and harvest 10.5 million quintals, but it was later revised. Therefore, under the revised plan, 8.5 million quintals of wheat will be harvested.
However, it should be noted that, among others, there were several hikes, the occurrence of floods in the Afar region together with the frequent invasion of desert locusts left the crop demolished. The slowdown of COVID 19 also brought its own impact on the transport of agricultural inputs to the areas.
Aragaw Kasu is a farmer in the Amhara region and, like him, in the Koga irrigation project; he and his fellow farmers have grown wheat on 3,500 hectares of land combining their small plots of land.
He also said that the government supported them with the supply of inputs such as selective seeds and pesticides.
There are also projects that promote wheat cultivation in the state of Oromia. The head of the Ada woreda Agricultural Office, Kebede Ararsa, said that last year farmers could produce 50 quintals of wheat per hectare. As for him, farmers could do better during the winter than in the rainy season.
According to experts, farmers in Amhara state have been growing wheat for the past 11 years, but this year they are growing it in a new way to make a difference, using better inputs and increasing their agricultural areas to that end. .
According to the head of the Ada woreda Agricultural Office of the state of Oromia, the irrigated farm allows farmers to obtain more products than they usually use. Irrigation projects help farmers to use water economically because the flow of water is controlled. During the rainy season, excess water falls on the crops, which in turn spoils the harvest and reduces the amount of produce. But through irrigation, the water is regulated and there is no damage to the crop.
As for Agegnehu Teshager, president of the state of Amhara, this year he was planning to grow wheat on 300 thousand hectares of land through irrigation in the region. But it failed to hit the target due to several shortcomings. Only 18 thousand hectares of land could be cultivated and of this, only 13 thousand hectares of land could be covered by wheat. The farm is located in the Agewawi area of Amhara state in western Gojam.
In the Awi zone of the same state, 5,000 hectares of land are covered by wheat and also 3,500 hectares of land are covered by wheat in the nearby areas through the use of the Koga irrigation project. In addition, there are 1000 hectares of land covered by wheat in other areas. Most of the state’s farmers are inspired by the outcome of the winter irrigation project and showed their determination to dedicate their time to increasing wheat production.
On the other hand, in the Eastern Gojam, Southern Wollo, Central and Southern Gonder areas of Amhara state, many irrigation activities are taking place that created employment opportunities for thousands of people. As for the President of the State, the State plans to produce 30 million quintals of wheat in the next 5 years.
According to the Ethiopian Metrological Agency report in Ethiopia, a variety of extreme weather events are becoming more common, particularly droughts and floods. Changes in weather and climate, especially in the context of the dynamic Sahel monsoon, pose a potential threat to agricultural production and food security throughout the region.
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Recent evidence suggests that the incidence of droughts and floods in Ethiopia has increased over the past ten years compared to the decade before 2013. Droughts alone are estimated to reduce Ethiopia’s GDP by as much as 1 percent in one year typical 2021GC. This is likely to be confused by an additional loss of agricultural productivity due to climate change.
According to Daniel, the nation has potential not only for national food self-sufficiency, but also for exporting wheat to the foreign market.
In the past, the experiment of growing wheat in the arid areas of Gode by irrigation was not successful. Seeing the practice as a bad experience, some have been doubting this year’s wheat production in all parts of the country to replace half of the country’s wheat imports as expected and next year with better production. , it will be possible to substitute 100 percent of imported wheat. But while the effort is ongoing, there are also some drawbacks that can be taken as limiting factors, including natural disasters.
