Bounty of the Basket Drives Surplus in Ethiopian Fish Production, Reports Ministry of Agriculture

Addis Ababa, November 21, 2025 (ENA) - The Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture has reported that the national Bounty of the Basket initiative is delivering substantial returns in the fishery sector, with production figures for the first quarter of the 2018 Ethiopian fiscal year significantly outperforming set targets.

According to official data, the country produced over 48,000 tons of fish during the first quarter, surpassing the initial projection of 41,000 tons.

State Minister of Agriculture Fikru Regasa told the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) that the surplus is the result of a strategic shift in how the nation manages its water resources.

While the country continues to rely on standard fishery stocks from major water bodies, the State Minister highlighted that the expansion of aquaculture through artificial ponds has played a decisive role in boosting the yields.

The efforts being underway have successfully increased annual fish productivity capacity by more than threefold, signaling a major leap in the sector's efficiency, he noted.

Launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in November 2022 in Arba Minch, the Bounty of the Basket initiative was designed as a comprehensive national development strategy to ensure food sovereignty at the household level.

The initiative focuses on accelerating the production of dairy, eggs, meat, honey, and fish to stabilize food markets and improve nutritional standards.

Beyond food security, the program aims to stimulate rural-urban market linkages, create employment, and substitute imported animal products with domestic goods.

To sustain this momentum, the Ministry is undertaking a robust infrastructure plan that includes renovating existing fish hatcheries and constructing new breeding centers.

State Minister Fikru explained that distributing fish fingerlings to water bodies that were previously unutilized for fishing is a core component of this strategy.

Of the annual target to distribute over 13 million fish fingerlings, the Ministry has successfully deployed 2.3 million in the first quarter alone. These efforts are expected to further cement the fishery sector's role in ensuring national food security and driving economic growth.