Netherlands is sharing advanced Experience with Ethiopia, Says Ambassador

Addis Ababa, November 24, 2023 (ENA): The Government of the Netherlands is working in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia in various fields, including horticulture and dairy development, Ambassador Henk Jan Bakker said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Netherlands Ambassador to Ethiopia Bakker said his country, which is a world champion in agriculture, is keen to share its experience and extend financial and technological support. 

The Netherlands is a very small country but the second largest agricultural product exporter in the world, known for implementing advanced technology in the sector.

The ambassador said that even if the country can’t move that technology one by one to countries like Ethiopia, it can share its advanced experience in terms of technology, management, and other important aspects toward the development of agriculture.

Citing some of the results in this respect, Ambassador Bakker used milk production as an example. The farmers who have participated in our dairy program so far have increased milk production by an average of 5 liters per day per cow, which is a significant change in their income, he said.

He further said that farmer field schools (FFSs) where farmers are trained to improve the way they farm have been set up so as to improve their yields, and the schools have reached 100,000 farmers in Ethiopia. "We are working to expand these," he revealed.  

Though there is enormous potential in Ethiopia for diary production, the sector is still very small as compared to the population, the ambassador noted.

"We look at both smallholder farmers and also commercial farmers to expand their businesses to produce much more milk and many vegetables so that Ethiopians can address their demand."

This week, the Government of the Netherlands concluded over 70 million Euro in agreements in horticulture and dairy development.

Besides, the government of the Netherlands is providing support in the health, water, and law enforcement sectors, among others, he stated.

Apart from our development cooperation, we are also economically very big player, Ambassador Bakker noted, adding that almost 100 Netherlands companies are active in Ethiopia, many of them engaged in floriculture.