The Ministry of Agriculture plans to promote Ethiopia’s fish industry on the international market. Establishing a commercial aquaculture will require focused research and development, increased partnerships between hatcheries, feed suppliers, producers and researchers as well as more significant investment by the private sector said Dr. Harrison Charo-Karisa Director of the National Aquaculture Research Development Training Center.
Ethiopian ministries of Mine, Agriculture and Industry are conducting a study to develop a national soil fertility map in collaboration with the Agriculture Transformation Agency.
The national soil fertility map is part of the plans to enhance agricultural productivity set out by the Ministry of Agriculture. The plans prioritize replenishing soil fertility and a more cautious use of fertilizers.
The map is expected to identify soil fertility in different areas said Takalign Mamo, advisor to the State Minister of MoA.
Ethiopia expects to earn more than 233 million US dollars through the export of leather and leather products this financial year.
The estimated revenue is almost double the amount earned last year according to the projected figures by the Leather and Leather Products Development Institute.
It is to be remembered that Ethiopia earned about 112.1 million US dollars from the sector in the last financial year. The revenue was lower than the 206 million US dollar projected by the institute for the fiscal period.
Ethiopia is working to enhance the apiculture sector according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The ministry has put in place the regulatory framework to support the sector including the Bee Resource Development Protection Law, the Beekeeping Extension Package and Strategy, and the Honey and Wax Quality Control Regulations.
The MoA is also providing training programs to farmers while the Holeta Bee Research Center is conducting a range of research to address challenges in the sector said Tarekegn Tsige Head of Public Relations with the ministry.
The equipment required to launch bee keeping efforts is also being produced domestically he added.
Ethiopia is seeking to enhance fruit and vegetable exports into the European market with the help of the EDES food safety program.
A workshop to support the nation set up a food safety system up to international standards was held in Ethiopia with the aid of the EDES Program and administered by the Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP) in partnership with a group of European organizations working in food safety.
Efforts to ensure safe food exports from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, which commenced in 2009, are now targeting the standard of Ethiopia’s production and the national capacity to enhance the country’s food exports to the European market.
