Efforts in progress to engage national army ensure food self-sufficiency

Addis Ababa, December 18, 2023 (FBC) – Aside from its constitutional duties, the National Defence Force is striving to engage in agricultural activities to ensure its food-self sufficiency, Minister of Defense, Abrham Belay said.

Defense Agriculture workshop was underway in Addis Ababa today in the presence of senior officers of defense force, government officials, investors and other stakeholders.

Speaking at the occasion, Defense Minister, Abreham Belay said apart from its efforts to become free from total dependence on imported items, activities are also carried out to engage the army in various agricultural activities and on different agro-ecologies of the country.

The defense force has never been detached in history from supporting the society in agriculture activities, the minister said, adding that now it is involved in various agricultural activities to become food self sufficient.

On one hand, the army continues to supporting the communities in their agricultural development efforts; and on the other, it will be engaged in agricultural practices to meet its own food consumption and it has brought about concrete results.

Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amante, on his part highlighted Ethiopia’s national development plan, which aims to increase agricultural production and productivity, modernize agriculture for industrial raw material inputs and exports, and create job opportunities.

According to him, some 50 thousand hectares of land has been identified to be developed by the army, and this would highly contribute to the country’s plan of ensuring food sovereignty.

Accordingly, plan for farming season 2016/17 in Ethiopian fiscal year and the seven-year agricultural development strategic plan were discussed and directions set to fully engage all defense units, ENA reported.