Ethiopia’s wheat productivity reached 230 million quintals in 2023/24 FY

Addis Ababa, December 6, 2024 (FBC) – Ethiopia’s wheat production reached over 230 million quintals during the past fiscal year with smallholder farmers playing a significant role, according to a data shared this morning on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by the Office of the Prime Minister.

During the 2023/24, smallholder farmers cultivated 3.6 million hectares, yielding 123 million quintals in the process, while 2.9 million hectares of irrigated land produced 107.7 million quintals, the PM Office noted.

Altogether, the country’s wheat production reached 230 million quintals in the aforementioned period.

Compare this to the 2019/2020 period, when smallholder farmers produced just 54 million quintals of wheat. Today, that figure has soared—a remarkable leap made possible by steadfast leadership, enabling policies, and a relentless commitment to boosting productivity, the PM Office further stated.

Fast forward to the 2024/25 fiscal year, the Ethiopian government is targeting a whopping 300 million quintals of wheat at the end of the ongoing financial year through irrigated and rainfed production systems, according to a recent parliament speech by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

He also claimed that Ethiopia has successfully substituted imported wheat and started export to foreign market owing to the climate-smart agricultural initiatives spearheaded by PM Abiy Ahmed.

Abiy said his government is aiming an 8.4 percent GDP growth during the current financial year and agriculture alone is anticipated to grow by 6.1 percent, considering the achievements recorded in the first quarter of this period.