Japan provides food aid to Ethiopia worth $3.5

Addis Ababa, July 13, 2022 (FBC) – Ethiopia and Japan have signed and exchanged notes on the “Food Aid Program” amounting to $3.5 million.

The agreement was signed between Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance of Ethiopia and ITO Takako, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ethiopia.

Through this grant aid, around 2,250 tons of Japanese rice will be provided to Ethiopia, in order to combat food insecurity brought on by various factors including the droughts, the conflict in the north, and the extremely high number of IDPs in the country.

As a lot of rice consumption in Ethiopia has relied on imports recently, the grant aid will help Ethiopia not only to combat food insecurity but also to reduce imports and contribute to saving foreign currency.

Japan has supported rice production in Ethiopia since 2015, as one of the main pillars of the agricultural sector, according to the Ministry of Finance.