Ethiopia’s Agricultural Progress Model for Africa: Agribusiness Investors

Addis Ababa November 13/2024 (ENA)-African investors engaged in the agriculture sector commended the progress made in Ethiopia's agriculture, describing it as an example for other African countries.

Recall that Ethiopia hosted the World Without Hunger Conference, from 5 to 7 November, 2024 in Addis Ababa where prominent personalities including heads of state and government, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed included, ministers, investors participated. Ethiopia’s remarkable achievements of agriculture sector were showcased and won admiration.

Approached by the Ethiopian News Agency, participants of the conference who are engaged in agribusiness appreciated the successes Ethiopia has made in the sector.    

Rwanda’s Afrifood Managing Director, Sakina Usengimana said  Ethiopia’s transformation of the agriculture sector is an important lesson for African countries.

“Ethiopia is really doing very great, especially in a commercial farming. In Africa, we are doing agribusiness on a small scale for survival; but now as you are translating to commercial and then it gives us also an example. How can we also implement it in our own countries, where we really do agribusiness as a viable business, and when you see someone doing agribusiness, you respect them, and then you know, they are making a very important contribution, and this is something that we are learning from Ethiopia," she said. 

To increase efficiency and higher productivity in yields to farmers, investment on agriculture through mechanization is essential, she said, adding this is not normally common to many African countries. Because we need to make sure that farmer's  cultivation is profitable, that means they can get the food to eat and they can also get the food to the market, she explained.

She further explained on the need to collaborate to end hunger, particularly from Africa. 

“Talking about the issue that is affecting not only Africa, but the whole world, but we are so much affected in Africa. It is about ending the hunger so which means that food security is very necessary. It's a topic that's close to me and the whole Africa,” Usengimana said. 

“To end the hunger Africa has to invest into the farmers. Myself I'm a farmer…So we need really to invest into farmers. We need to invest into infrastructure. We need to give affordable financing, especially for young people and women, we need to invest into value addition, and these have all been under discussion. And we need also to have a fair policy that are very inclusive, even to the young people and women and people who are doing trade so that it's very easy to do trade from one African country to another. There's the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, which we need to maximize.”

She further stated "If I have something in my country, Rwanda, can I export it to other African countries? I have seen many innovations here in Ethiopia. Can I also import them to Rwanda? So that is the collaboration that we need in Africa. If someone is excelling in one area, they can learn from each other, so that we can really collectively end the hunger. Because ending the hunger is not a one-person job. I think it's all of us responsibility to be able to work on that in any level you are at, either you are in production, providing finance or manufacturing or supporting the young people to be able to also get opportunities.”

She called on African governments to play their role and create favorable environment for the private sectors to engage in the agriculture business. 

 

Movoh Albert Vegah, Telcar Cocoa Customer Program Coordinator, a company working on Cocoa in Cameroon, on his part said that Ethiopia has transformed from being import dependent to an exporter. 

“... looking at the level of development (Ethiopia), being able to achieve so many things on their own, in terms of agriculture, infrastructure, tourism. This is quite impressive for a country that has no colonial master, which means that has very little support from foreign countries. 

So it's an example to replicate... from a model country... Ethiopia, you would see that the government of Ethiopia ... has given emphasis on every sector within the agricultural value chain, be it small, be it medium, be large companies, and this has worked for them. This has moved the agricultural sector forward because you have an enabling environment in terms of technological support, government support, and financial support. So it's quite a flexible environment here in Ethiopia," he stated. 

"Before Ethiopia was import dependent, but now Ethiopia is an exporter, not only to Europe, but to other African countries, which means that Ethiopia, when you look back, was food dependent. But now, Ethiopia is fully committed to moving towards food sufficiency, and that's really an example to copy,” Vegah noted.

To ensure food security investments and improvement in infrastructure, storage facilities, farm to storage network, logistic transport and other factors are needed, Vegah added. 

 

Olaonipekun Taiwo, CEO of Farm Fixers, a company working on agricultural technology in Nigeria, also said that Ethiopia's progress in the sector is commendable.

He stated that the country is especially known for its coffee production and the work being done to ensure agricultural productivity is admirable.

“When I herd the word coffee, it is Ethiopia that comes to my mind. What I have seen here is that your people are proud of that commodity called coffee,” he said.

He added that Africa should see into technology and best inputs in agriculture including seeds and precision agriculture.