Africa-Press – Ethiopia. May 29/2021(ENA) Ethiopia is striving to realize the Green Legacy Initiative with an eye towards increasing agricultural productivity and ensuring food self-sufficiency, according to Ministry of Agriculture.
This year the nation aims to intensify the Green Legacy Initiative by planting 6 billion seedlings to help transform the nation from food-deficiency to food self-sufficiency.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Agriculture Extension Director-General Germame Girma said 20 billion tree seedlings would be planted by 2024 through the Green Legacy Initiative.
The “Green Legacy Initiative has been undertaken during the past three years in an organized; and it will be intensified this year by planting 1 billion tree seedlings in neighboring countries,” he added.
According to him, all types of crop, livestock, and fish among others are expected to increase dramatically in the course of the initiative as planting tree seedlings helps to conserve ground water, prevent soil erosion, and avoid shortage of rainfall.
As the planting of tree seedlings touches directly or indirectly every sector, including tourism, industry, health, and environmental protection, the nation would achieve inclusive economic growth, the director-general underlined.
“Therefore, planting seedlings within the country and beyond in Africa and the world is meant to enhance productivity of the agriculture sector.”
Germame pointed out that his ministry has prepared a 10-year plan aimed at boosting agricultural productivity as part of home-grown economic reform.
The set target could be achieved by enhancing the distribution of selected seeds, fertilizer, and carrying out water and soil conservation works through mass seedling planting campaigns, he noted.
With regard to wheat production, 44,300 hectares of land has been cultivated through irrigation while about 1.2 million hectares of land is being cultivated with various fruit and vegetables as part of the nation’s aspiration to attain food self- sufficiency.
It is to be recalled that 356 million quintals of crop was harvested last year.
