Ethiopia’s wheat production surges significantly, says PM

Ethiopia’s wheat production surged significantly in the 2023/24 harvesting period, according to the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO.) Smallholder farmers cultivated 3.6 million hectares, yielding 123 million quintals, while 2.9 million hectares of irrigated land produced 107.7 million quintals, the office said in its social media post. Altogether, Ethiopia’s wheat production reached 230 million quintals in this period. On November 18, 2024, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the wheat harvesting period has begun across the country in this season. And he said “we must expedite this process nationwide through collaboration, as we have a bountiful harvest this year. Additionally, we should prepare for the upcoming summer wheat cultivation.” Compare this to the 2019/2020 period, when smallholder farmers produced just 54 million quintals of wheat, PMO indicated. Today, that figure has soared—a remarkable leap made possible by steadfast leadership, enabling policies, and a ...