Over 50M QTS of irrigated wheat harvested so far – Ministry

Addis Ababa, April 1, 2024 (FBC) – The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), in its latest report, has disclosed that the irrigated wheat harvest for the current Ethiopian year has reached an impressive 50,864,516 quintals so far.

The ministry emphasized that the national target was set at 120 million quintals through the cultivation of 3 million hectares of irrigated wheat. As of now, wheat crop seeds have been sown across 2,978,122 hectares of land, with 1,499,966 hectares already harvested using traditional and combine harvesters.

Moreover, the initiative for irrigated wheat development spans various regions, including Amhara, Oromia, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, Southwest Ethiopian Peoples, Afar, Gambella, Somali, and Benishangul Gumuz regions.

Transitioning to the ongoing Belg (Ethiopian Autumn) season, the ministry mentioned that it is working to cultivate irrigated wheat on 3,123,797 hectares of land. Of this area, 2,740,702 hectares have been plowed, and wheat seeds have been sown across 828,763 hectares.

The ministry further revealed that it has set an ambitious target to produce 81,852,093 quintals from this cultivated expanse, showcasing a comprehensive effort to enhance agricultural productivity in the country.