Miller Magazine Issue: 128 August 2020

EthIopIa 79 MILLER / August 2020 food and livestock processing equipment, as well as cold storage facilities. AMBITIOUS PLAN FOR WHEAT SELF-SUFFICIENCY BY 2023 After livestock, grain production is the second most im- portant sector in the country’s agriculture-based econo- my. It accounts for nearly 80 percent of the land under cultivation and employs 60 percent of the rural work- force, most of which work on less than one hectare of land. Grain yields are relatively low due to the country’s rugged topography, poor land management, small-scale landholdings, irregular rainfall, limited mechanization, and insufficient supplies of fertilizer and improved seed. The government and the international community are working together to address many of these challenges. Grain is an essential part of the Ethiopian diet. In fact, over 50 percent of the daily caloric intake of an average household is from wheat, sorghum, and corn. Households spend an average of 40 percent of their total food bud- get on cereals. Grain consumption, especially for wheat and wheat-based products like biscuits, bread and pasta, continues to climb as incomes rise and more people move to urban centers. The government has an ambitious plan for wheat self-sufficiency by 2023 by tapping into the huge production potential due to its various favorable agro-ecologies and through expansion of wheat produc- tion area under irrigation to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce wheat imports. The government has allocated US$5.98 million to establish agricultural machinery rental service centers in grain-producing regions to capacitate and increase the efficiency of farmers. All grains increased yields in MY 2019/20 due to im- proved government extension work, increased mech- anization, favorable weather conditions, timely and adequate rainfall in the western and central highlands. There is continued governmental investment in improved seeds, fertilizers supply and mechanization support. In addition, after several dry years, the short rainy season in March/April, known as the Belg, returned last year and this year. The main factor that will influence agricultural