Milk production soared by 41% through ‘Bounty of the Basket’ initiative – PMO

Addis Ababa, January 2, 2024 (FMC) – Milk production in Ethiopia has increased by 41 percent since the introduction of the “Bounty of the Basket” (YeLemat Trufat) initiative, according to the Office of the Prime Minister’s social media post published today.

“Through the ‘Bounty of the Basket’ initiative milk production increased from 7bil liters to 9.9bil liters, surging by 41%,” the PM Office noted.

It was indicated that egg production rose from 3.2 billion to 3.9 billion while honey production increased from 146.7 thousand tons to 194 thousand tons.

With a “conservative plan” to register an 8.4 national economic growth in 2024/25 fiscal year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in his recent speech at the parliament confirmed that agriculture sector is anticipated to play a significant impact in the fiscal year with Bounty of the Basket initiative and other agricultural initiatives being implemented.

It is worth noting that Prime Minister Abiy initiated the homegrown “Bounty of the Basket” initiative in 2022, a four-year initiative designed to enhance the production and productivity of dairy products, eggs, poultry, honey and hive products, as well as fish.

To achieve its goals, in addition to large scale production, the initiative places significant emphasis on household-level efforts, such as promoting backyard poultry farming, encouraging the establishment of small-scale fish farms, and supporting beekeeping activities.

The initiative is said to be integral to advancing food self-sufficiency and improving nutrition at both household and national level.