Wheat cluster farming key to become self-sufficient: PM

Addis Ababa, May 2, 2020 (FBC) –Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed has called on small-holder farmers to give more attention to cluster farming to make Ethiopia wheat self-sufficient.

“Through cluster farming of wheat we have great potential to begin import substitution,” said the Prime Minister on his Facebook page.

The PM cited the experience of cluster farming on 2,800 hectares of land through irrigation in Jidda woreda of the Oromia regional state to support his call.

He termed the farming in the woreda as “quite encouraging.”

According to him, the experience in Jidda district shows that “we have the capacity to stop our dependence on wheat imports at a national level if we intensify our productivity in this manner.”

The Prime Minister also described the cattle fattening endeavours by youth in the woreda as promising.

He encouraged small-holder farmers throughout the country to continue building on “these capacities with the needed support.”

In a separate post, the Prime Minister announced plans to plant 5 billion seedlings this season by building on the success of the past year.

“Building on the success of the past year our aim is to plant 5billion seedlings this planting season,” he noted.

“Various regions are demonstrating their preparedness in that regard. While we work to respond to COVID19 head-on, we will also build on our Green Legacy aspirations as a nation,” the PM added.