Somali Region’s crop drive sparks shift from aid dependency to dev’t: Chief Administrator

Addis Ababa, June 9, 2024 (FBC) – Ethiopia’s Somali Region has witnessed a transformative shift in its agricultural sector, catalyzing a societal mindset change from aid reliance to development-oriented and self-reliance, region’s Chief Administrator, Mustefe Mohammed underscored.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the chief administrator highlighted the region’s vast untapped potential for crop cultivation, with over 10 million hectares of arable land and significant water resources like the Wabi Shebelle, Genale, Dawa, and Webi rivers.

Noting remarkable progress since the reform began, Mustefe revealed that the cultivated area has now expanded from 400,000 hectares to 900,000 hectares.

This 125 percent increase in cultivated land has enabled annual crop production to surge from 10 million quintals to 26 million quintals, a staggering 160 percent growth, he indicated.

Concerted efforts are underway to further boost the cultivated lands to 1 million hectares as part of the region’s ambition towards food self-sufficiency, according to the administrator.

“We are working to increase the cultivated land beyond an additional 50,000 hectares to reach 1 million hectares,” Mustefe stated.

The president attributed the production surge to post-reform efforts, including mechanization, irrigation expansion, and community engagement in agriculture.

Mustefe revealed that irrigation projects with the total outlay of over 8 billion Birr, its implementation has commenced this year alone. “These projects are expected to significantly boost the country’s productivity upon completion,” he remarked.

Crucially, the drive to cultivate unutilized land and empower communities has sparked a profound mindset shift, he underscored.

“Our people have started cultivating lands that were previously left fallow due to insecurity. Abandoning the mentality of food aid reliance, they now firmly believe in deriving their livelihood from the land, actively engaging in farming activities,” Mustefe emphasized.

The Somali Region has been recently witnessing a substantial rise in overall production that underscores the region’s commitment to unlocking its agricultural potential and achieving food security through sustainable intensification and modernization efforts.