Ambassadors, Heads of Missions Visit Agricultural Projects in Oromia

Addis Ababa, August 31/2020(ENA) Ethiopian Ambassadors and Heads of Missions who gathered in Bishoftu town for their annual meeting have visited agricultural development activities being underway in Oromia Regional State.

Several agricultural development projects including modern seed propagation centers in Dugda Woreda of East Shoa Zone were visited by the diplomats and head of mission on Sunday.

Chief Administrator of Oromia Regional State, Shimeles Abdissa who led the visit said a number of modern agricultural activities are underway in the region in a bid to transform Ethiopia into a prosperous nation.

According to Shimelis, the region has been exerting maximum efforts to cultivate export-oriented agricultural commodities including  papaya, avocado, tomato, banana, coffee, and tea in the East and West Shewa Zones.

The State’s revenue has been improving over the past two years as a result of the agricultural development he said noting that the region’s income has increased to 22 billion Birr during the 2019/20 budget year from 15 billion Birr in the previous fiscal year.  

The agriculture sector has contributed a lot for the increased revenue including the cluster farming system being applied currently across the region, the Chief Administrator said.

Oromia Regional State has also planned to earn 30 billion birr in the current Ethiopian fiscal year particularly by enhancing agricultural development activities, he pointed out.

Currently some 390,000 hectares of the region’s land is covered with wheat, maize and teff.