Addis Ababa: Ye Lemat Tirufat’ (Bounty of the Basket) development program, which is being implemented in Ethiopia with the objective to ensuring food self-sufficiency, has been showing good progress by creating interest and motivation among farmers and pastoral communities all across the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Recall Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched “Yelemat Tirufat” development campaign, which focuses on nutritional opulence in November, 2022.
The objective is to boost productivity and production of dairy, eggs, chicken, and honey and related products as well as intensify efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency and ensure nutritional opulence at the family and national levels.
It is designed by putting into consideration the wealth of resources that the country is endowed with including knowledge and skills of the hard-working farmers, the diverse and untapped livestock, fishery, and agiculture.
Speaking to ENA, State Minister of Agriculture, Fikru Regassa said the programm
e aims to support the country in its efforts to ensure improved livelihoods, food security and nutrition in the country.
Since the start of the program, the production and productivity of milk, chicken meat and eggs, honey and fish have made overall achievements in the past two years, he added.
‘Thanks to our Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, that we started ‘Ye Lemat Tirufat’ program two years ago. Now, it has been really showing good progress. It has created a great interest and motivation among farmers and pastoralist communities all across the country,’ he added.
Moreover, he elaborated that the production of milk has been increasing and brought tangible results.
The government is determined to quadruple milk production from current 7.1 billion litres to 28.4 billion litres by 2031 under this programme.
It is indicated for instance that more than 2 billion liters of milk, 1.4 billion eggs, 200,000 tons of meat and 110,000 tons of honey have been produced over a period of 9 months during the current fiscal y
ear as part of the program.
‘We are also working to enhance milk handling and processing capabilities, ensuring the quality of milk through making use of the latest technologies.’
He pointed out that 500,000 animals were crossbred annually before the implementation of the program, however he said the last ten months alone; 2.2 million animals have been crossbred.
On the other hand, Fikru pointed out 42 million chickens were distributed in the last financial year, while 62 million chickens have been distributed in ten months of the current fiscal year, he added.
The honey and fish production have also registered great achievements.
The state minister elaborated that the regions have been working on identifying their own blessings resources, so there has been a change in enhancing productivity and improving the livelihood of people.
Therefore, we have been achieving more than what we planned in all the four commodities including dairy, poultry, agiculture and fishery he said, adding most of the regions ar
e performing beyond the plan.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency