Ethiopian agriculture faces challenges despite Sasakawa Africa Association's efforts
via The Reporter Ethiopia2 min read
Ethiopia's agricultural productivity is being hampered by security issues, low motivation among extension workers, severe soil erosion, overgrazing, climate change, high input costs, machinery breakdowns, fuel shortages, and youth migration, according to the Sasakawa Africa Association SAA. The SAA, founded in 1986, held its annual stakeholders’ workshop in Adama, where it announced investments of over two billion Birr in smallholder farmers across 300 districts in Ethiopia over the past five years. SAA Ethiopia Country Director Fentahun Mengistu stated this funding aimed to boost crop productivity, ensure food security, and improve farmers' livelihoods. The association distributed significant amounts of seeds and fertilizers, and trained over 63,000 farmers. Coordinator Melese Liyehe noted a strong focus on regenerative agriculture, reaching nearly 265,000 farmers directly and over 1.5 million indirectly. Additionally, more than 182,000 citizens benefited from nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Despite these achievements, security issues and conflicts significantly hindered agricultural extension services. SAA has launched a new strategic plan for 2026–2030 with a projected budget of 2.5 billion Birr, aiming to continue boosting crop productivity, ensuring food security, and improving smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. Funding will be mobilized with partners like the Nippon Foundation, the African Development Bank, and AGRA. The new phase will prioritize climate-smart agricultu
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
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