PM Abiy Says 23 Mil Ethiopians Lifted out of Safety Net Marking Encouraging Achievements to Ensuring Food Sovereignty

Addis Ababa, July 3, 2025 (ENA) -- The growth registered in the Ethiopian agricultural sector has resulted in ensuring the country’s food security and lifting 23 million people out of Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.

Premier Abiy Ahmed is responding to questions raised by members of the parliament today. “We must now focus on empowering the remaining 4 million beneficiaries and ensure that Ethiopia becomes a nation that has fully achieved food sovereignty. With our vast arable land and continued commitment, this goal is within reach,” he added.

Agriculture remains the backbone of the Ethiopian economy and the foundation of our export earnings, Abiy said, and added that a large portion of the population is directly or indirectly engaged in the sector.

Highlighting the vital role of agriculture in the country’s development, the Premier stressed “this year, agriculture is projected to grow by 6.1 percent. Ethiopia has prioritized agricultural development, recognizing that food sovereignty is essential for safeguarding national interest. A country that cannot feed itself cannot fully secure its future.”

 

Stating that Ethiopia possesses the largest arable land, the Premier said that 23 million hectares of land was ploughed last year and this has been scaled up to 31.8 million hectares of land the concluding Ethiopian fiscal year.

Similarly, Ethiopia’s agricultural productivity has increased from 1.2 billion quintals last year to 1.5 billion quintals the current Ethiopian fiscal year showing a growth of 24.7 percent, Abiy added.

The construction of small, medium and large irrigation dams has contributed immensely to the registered remarkable achievement, the Premier stated, and urged the MPs and Ethiopians to intensify their efforts to further solidify the gained results in agriculture and elevate national food sovereignty.

Some 20 dam projects will be constructed with a capacity of producing about 220,000 hectares of land of which 6 are expected to be inaugurated in the coming September. The six dams can irrigate about 84 hectares of land, the prime minister indicated.   

Furthermore, Premier Abiy pointed out that due attention was given to mechanization by providing thousands of tractors, combiners, pumps to boost the agricultural production and productivity of the country.

The achieved tremendous results such as cessation of importing wheat, lifting out millions out of PSNP, boosting production and productivity, utilizing the arable land and so on are just the beginning of Ethiopia’s revival, Abiy stated, and noted efforts must be redoubled to achieve national prosperity.