Some 500 tractors to be distributed to farmers in Tigray Region, PM says

Addis Ababa, February 6, 2024 (FBC) – While responding to the queries raised by parliamentarians, the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), stated that, following the Pretoria Peace Agreement, the federal government in concert with the interim administration has conducted fruitful reconstruction and rebuilding works in Tigray Region.

Following the Peace Agreement, the government renovated Axum, Shire and Mekelle airports with a budget of half a billion birr allocated by Ethiopian Airlines and restarted air transport, the Prime Minister stated.

The telecommunication sector  have fully resumed services after maintenance and repair works had been conducted on 1,000 km of fiber-optic cables and other facilities, he said, adding that 4G services are now available in the region.

Adequate measures have been taken to resume electricity, banking and educational services in the region, the Prime Minister indicated.

More than 600 branches of various banks are now providing financial services to the community in the region, the Prime Minister disclosed. The Premier added that the National Bank of Ethiopia has provided banks in the region with 10 billion birr to support the financial sector.

Universities, schools and health institutions in the region have resumed services, he said.

Following the measures taken to reinvigorate the manufacturing industry sector, 217 factories in Tigray region have resumed production, according to the Prime Minister.

Moreover, the Prime Minister disclosed that 630,000 ha of land has been farmed in the current Belg season, he indicated, adding that 100,000 quintals of fertilizer has been dispatched to farmers in the region to enable them ensure productivity.

Some 500 tractors to be distributed to farmers in Tigray Region have been purchased to improve agricultural practices. And, 300 water pumps are ready for distribution to enhance irrigation farming in the region, the Premier added.

The Premier further highlighted the need to provide more support to the region to scale up reconstruction activities and increase productivity in all sectors.

Nationally, 3 million ha of land has been farmed and 120 million quintals of crop yields are expected to be harvested during this farming season, according to the Prime Minister.

“Ethiopia is one of the countries recording rapid growth. In the current year, an economic growth of 7.9% is expected. Particularly, the agriculture sector has shown very effective work; adjustments made in fiscal & monetary policy are also registering significant changes.” the Prime Minister added.