Ethiopia eyes Somali region's wheat for export

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has expressed a desire to support the Somali region in the production of wheat for export, which he believes will not only improve the food security of the Horn of Africa nation but also impeccably improve the country's foreign income.

For two days, Prosperity Party's ruling elites have been pitching tents in the Somali region, which experienced drought for the better part of 2021 but is now becoming an epicenter of agricultural production in the country, which the government intends to leverage.

“Executives of Prosperity Party had a useful discussion,” Abiy Ahmed said while appreciating the milestones made by the region which had struggled with drought for the better part of last year. The region lost livestock and even lives as drought wrecked the country.

Although not much was disclosed from the meeting, video footage of the Prime Minister inspecting wheat fields in the area surfaced on social media, with the PM now keen to promote the cultivation of wheat as one of the success stories in the Horn of Africa nation.

“This area was affected by drought last year,” he explained. Wheat has been dominating state media news content in recent months – not to mention other publishers, a clear indication that Ethiopia is keen to promote wheat farmers in the country.

The ruling party is aspiring to “export wheat.” The plan is to produce it all year round using irrigation. In his remark, he said he has told Mustafa Mohammed, head of the Somali region, that the region has to make 2 million quintals of wheat for export.

Ethiopia is one of the countries which is affected by the drought as the world struggles to help the affected countries around the world. Also in the same picture within the Horn of Africa are Somalia, Kenya, and Sudan, with over 30 million people risking devastating famine.

Also, Ethiopia is currently facing a conflict within the Tigray region as the national army struggles to make peace with Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF], the conflict could trigger food insecurity and the idea of wheat farming could expressly help the country deal with impending challenges.

GAROWE ONLINE