Huge Efforts Underway to Provide Fertilizer for Farmers, Says Agriculture Minister

Addis Ababa, July 28/2023 (ENA) Maximum efforts have been exerted to provide fertilizer for this Meher farming season in Ethiopia, according to Ministry of Agriculture.

Agriculture Minister Girma Amente held a press conference today to elaborate on the efforts being undertaken to provide agriculture inputs to farmers.

According to him, the government has purchased over 13 million quintals of fertilizer with one billion USD.

Out of the purchased 13.675 million quintals, 11.9 million has reached Djibouti Port, the minister revealed, adding that over 10.7 million quintals have been transported to the hinterland. 

More than 200,000 quintals of fertilizer are being transported daily from the port to quickly deliver fertilizer to farmers, Girma stated.

The minister pointed out that 10.8 million quintals have so far reached farmers, which is 68 percent of the need.

As there is illegal trading of fertilizer that is growing, the ministry will work to make the purchasing system digital, he disclosed.

The minister further said that efforts are underway to cover 17.4 million hectares of land with crops in the Meher season.