Ethiopia Crops Up 24 Percent in 2004
Date: 03-Feb-05
Country: ETHIOPIA
Crop production -- which includes wheat, barley, maize and pulses -- totalled 14.27 million tonnes, compared with 11.49 million tonnes in 2003, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a report.
"The bumper harvest from the 2004 main season is projected to be more than 24 percent above the previous year's estimate of 11.49 million tonnes and 21 percent above the average for the past five years," the joint report said.
An extended rainfall season and increased use of fertiliser and improved seeds all contributed to the boost, the report said.
Nonetheless, 2.2 million Ethiopians will still need emergency food assistance in 2005, especially in areas of eastern and southern Ethiopia where a prolonged drought has killed crops and drained wells, the United Nations said.
Ethiopia will need 387,500 tonnes of food aid, and another 989,000 tonnes of fortified blended food and vegetable oil to supply a survival programme for pregnant women and children under 5, the report said.
The report urged donors to purchase food assistance locally to help the domestic market.
Agriculture is Ethiopia's main economic activity, contributing to 45 percent of GDP with some 85 percent of the population earning a living directly or indirectly from it.