2. Agriculture is the country's most promising resource management. Brighter Green, 6. Agriculture is the mainstay of Ethiopian economy involving major source of employment and gross national product. Contributions, potentials and characteristics of agriculture in Ethiopia The contributions of agriculture in Ethiopia The Ethiopian economy is an agrarian economy. 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. The problem became so serious that Mengistu lashed out against the peasantry on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of military rule in September 1978. The government nationalized rural land without compensation, abolished tenancy, forbade the hiring of wage labor on private farms, ordered all commercial farms to remain under state control, and granted each peasant family so-called "possessing rights" to a plot of land not to exceed ten hectares. [19][20], Sorghum, millet, and corn are cultivated mostly in warmer areas at lower altitudes along the country's western, southwestern, and eastern peripheries. In Ethiopia, agriculture is started during the Neolithic revolution era, ten thousand years ago. Mia MacDonald and Justine Simon (2010) Climate, Food Security, & Growth: Ethiopia's Complex Relationship with Livestock. Private companies are allowed to import food commodities including wheat, rice, sugar, powder milk, and cooking oils. [17], Although varying from region to region, the role of livestock in the Ethiopian economy was greater than the figures suggest. Ploughing the land using these tools is ambiguous and time-consuming. Wubne, Mulatu. 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 as a key element for the development of other sectors 3 3. Overview. Facing a Foreign Trade AD/CVD or Safeguard Investigation? The mixed agriculture exhibits several subsystems. Lithosols, Cambisols, Nitosols, Vertisols, Xerosols, Solonchaks, Fluvisols and Luvisols cover more than 80% of the country, and are the most important soils. Ethiopia is endowed with abundant agricultural resources and has diverse agro-ecological zones. The agricultural production trends throughout the 1980's up to mid-1990's were characterized by wide fluctuations in total output and weak growth, with grain production increasing at rate of 1.37% annually compared to population growth of 2.9 % (World Bank, 2004). For this to happen, the government will need to guarantee sufficient allocations of foreign exchange. There may also be future opportunities for equipment and systems to process these commodities. In the same fiscal year, 707,059.29 hectares under cultivation produced 6,169,279.99 quintals of oilseeds, an increase from the previous year of 4,970,839.57 quintals grown on 741,790.98 hectares. Most of these farmers lived in the Ethiopian Highlands, mainly at elevations of 1,500 to 3,000 meters. "Ethiopia: Share of economic sectors in the gross domestic product (GDP) from 2010 to 2020", "Agriculture in Ethiopia: data shows for a large part Agriculture still retained its majority share of the economy", "The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia: Selected Issues Series", "National Statistical Abstract. For the later two Regions, estimated numbers vary greatly between conventional and aerial censuses, but total less than 15% of the non-nomadic Regions. [7], Most agricultural producers are subsistence farmers with small holdings, often broken into several plots. Most Ethiopians practice mixed agricultural activity which represents about 33.88 . Ethiopias commercial red meat (beef, mutton and goat) industry has made remarkable progress to date and shows considerable growth potential for the future. 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 . However, despite substantial investments and subsidies, State Farms provided only 4.2% of the cereal production in 198889. The program later facilitated the establishment of similar internationally supported and financed projects at Ada'a Chukala (just south of Addis Ababa), Welamo, and Humera. Under the Homegrown Economic Reform Program,the GOE intends to make the textile and apparel industry one of the economic engines that will propel future growth. Ethiopia is well positioned because highland temperatures make it ideal for horticulture, the average wage rate is US$20 per month (compared to US$60 a month in India), the price of leased land is about US$13 per hectare, and the government has tremendously aided the entry of new businesses into this sector in recent years. to industries; export crops, from whose sales industries infrastructure and the like may be established; and . Land use function 2 2.2. In addition, some of Ethiopias cash crops show potential for growth and offer possible investment opportunities in areas such as coffee, oilseeds, pulses, fruits and vegetables, honey, cut flowers, tea, and spices. Livestock and Livestock Characteristics (Private Peasant Holdings) 2020/2021 (2013 E.C.) The 1977 famine also provided an impetus to promote conservation. Skip to Article Content; Skip to Article Information; Search within. While by 1988 a total of 3600 Service Cooperatives were serving 4.4 million households and almost 4000 Producer cooperatives comprising 302,600 households had been founded, in that year they represented only 5.5% of national cereal production. By 1976 coffee exports had recovered, and in the five years ending in 198889, 44% of the coffee grown was exported, accounting for about 63% of the value of exports. Fresh fruits, including citrus and bananas, as well as fresh and frozen vegetables, became important export items, but their profitability was marginal. UNJP-RWEE was a five-year long initiative with the objective of accelerating the economic empowerment of rural women . Farm Management Practices (Private Peasant Holdings, Meher Season) 2020/21 (2013 E.C.) [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. Commercial Imports from the United States, Source: USDA/Foreign Agriculture Service, Addis Ababa, (Total market size = (total local production + imports) - exports). Characteristics and challenges of the Ethiopian highlands farming systems. By African, standard rural development programme has long history in Ethiopia. In addition to cattle, small ruminants (goats and sheep) and beasts of burden (donkey, horse, mule) are not uncommon in this farming system. 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. [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. Merkebu Getachew. In the coming decades, ensuring food security is one of the greatest challenges in Ethiopia. After 1975 the revolutionary government used peasant associations to accelerate conservation work throughout rural areas. Almost all farming tools in Ethiopia are traditional and made from different types of wood. The combined pressure of crop and livestock production and the ever-increasing human f AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS IN ETHIOPIA 285 population on the land in this farming system is high. ", Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research website, "National Growth and Transformation Plan", "Ethiopia's transforming wheat landscape: tracking variety use through DNA fingerprinting", "Press release: Rust-resistant bread wheat varieties widely adopted in Ethiopia, study shows CGIAR Research Program on WHEAT", "Livestock Sample Survey (AgLVS 2006), version 1.0", USGC Reps Meet With Ethiopian Feed Industry to Assess Market Barriers, "Ethiopia, 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor", "Transhumance in the Tigray highlands (Ethiopia)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Agriculture_in_Ethiopia&oldid=1140777650, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 19:04. Kassaye Tolassa . Land tenure rights as well as natural disasters, such as floods, hamper the countrys ability to quickly expand cotton production. fruit crops, stimulant crops and sugar cane are cultivated by farmers and other agricultural sectors in Ethiopia. J. Adigrat University, College of Agriculture, Department of Animal Production and Technology, Adgrat, Tigray, Ethiopia Address: Adigrat University, P.O.Box 50 Abstract: Ethiopia is endowed with diverse cattle genetic resources adapted to various local environmental conditions and acquired unique features. 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. Food production had consistently declined throughout the 1980s. It is a major subsistence crop and it is used as food. TheInternational Trade Administration,U.S. Department of Commerce, manages this global trade site to provide access to ITA information on promoting trade and investment, strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. 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 AMC set quotas of grain purchases to be delivered by peasant associations and cooperatives and also bought from private wholesalers, who were required to sell half of their purchases at predetermined prices. agriculture, poverty and illiteracy are important causes of land and environmental degradation in Ethiopia. The agricultural sector is subject to periodic drought, and poor infrastructure constrains the production and marketing of Ethiopia's products. In Ethiopia 95% of the total area is cultivated by smallholder farmers and contribute 90% of the total agricultural output. Export sales of U.S. cotton are expected as demand increases. 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. As the economy grows and the population expands, consumer demand for certain types of foods is expected to increase. [7], Soil erosion has been one of the country's major problems. Agriculture in the Lake Tana Sub-Basin of Ethiopia -- 24. Mia MacDonald and Justine Simon (2010) Climate, Food Security, & Growth: Ethiopia's Complex Relationship with Livestock. 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. [7], Inaccessibility, water shortages, and infestations of disease-causing insects, mainly mosquitoes, prevented the use of large parcels of potentially productive land. Principal crops include coffee, pulses (e.g., beans), oilseeds, cereals, potatoes, sugarcane, and vegetables. However, the expected level was not achieved. 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. A potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, grains, vegetables, and fruits. areas like Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, elsewhere it is practiced on traditional lines. In fact, over 50% of the daily caloric intake of an average household is from wheat, sorghum, and corn. This government-led outreach, combined with low labor and electricity costs, has already yielded fruits with a number of Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Indonesian and other foreign firms opening businesses in Ethiopia in recent years. Role Agriculture in Ethiopian economy. With about 117 million people (2021), Ethiopia is the second most populous nation in Africa after Nigeria, and still the fastest growing economy in the region, with 6.3% growth in FY2020/21. The particular GE cotton variety of interest is a product that is resistant to cotton bollworm, which is a pest challenge many farmers struggle to manage. Some of these products, especially the textiles, apparel, leather goods, and finished meat products are targeted for export markets in order to generate foreign exchange. There are also expanding opportunities for grocery sales to retail and wholesale outlets that are starting to spring up all over Addis Ababa. Abstract The objective of this study was to perform causality tests between agriculture and the rest of the economy using a Granger (1969) causality test procedure. During the rainy seasons, water and grass are generally plentiful, but with the onset of the dry season, forage is generally insufficient to keep animals nourished and able to resist disease.