Ethiopia is richly endowed with abundant and wide-ranging natural resources. Apart from others, the country is blessed with plentiful aquatic resources, fossil fuels, vast water bodies and large hectares of cultivable land, which make it an ideal place for investment.
The government, giving due attention to develop nation’s untapped potential thereby improve the living standard of the people, has been implementing various strategies to improve agricultural methods and increase product and productivity.
To this effect, it has been utilizing modern agricultural technologies such as new varieties and technologies, soil health enhancement approaches, irrigation and water supply management to increase product and productivity.
As a result, during the past decades, it has been enabled to register double digit growth for consecutive years. This progress is well portrayed in the West Gojam Zone of the Amhara State.
According to Goshu Endalamaw, Zone Administrator, the Zone has 2.7 million people of which 1.6 millions are between the age of 14 and 60.
It is one of the most fertile and high productivity Zones of the State and is known for its agricultural products.
Referring CSA’s report, the Administrator said in 2008/2009 Meher season crop production, the Zone has produced more than 16 million quintals of crops such as teff, maize, wheat and barley. In the current fiscal year, the Zone has set plan to develop 160 thousand hectares of land and harvest over 20 million quintals of produces through irrigation
“The efforts made by the government, along with research outputs of agricultural experts’ and provisions of technological inputs, have enabled the Zone to thrive and reach where it is today.”
However, the Zone has enormous agricultural potential and there are more possibilities to utilize the untapped resources and thereby increase product and productivity. “The Zone is immensely blessed with water bodies, including the Abay and Tana rivers. These would create additional possibilities to develop more farmlands through irrigation system,” he reiterated.
As part of these efforts and to utilize these rivers and springs and at the same time realize the Agricultural Growth Program (AGP II), the Zone is undertaking various activities in some seven potential woredas, Goshu marked.
Scaling up irrigation infrastructure is one of the efforts in this regard. And middle scale irrigation dams are being constructed.
According to him, in the past Ethiopian budget year, 13 projects which focus on river diversion works carried out. Moreover, the work of extending short irrigation canals which enable develop additional land was executed. Likewise, an irrigation dam which would develop over 300 hectares of land is under construction.
“Similar activities are also underway in the State. For example, in North and South Achefer woredas, the State government is constructing big irrigation dam by developing the Gilgel Abay River at the cost of over 300 million Birr. When the dam is finalized, it is expected to develop nearly 3000 hectares of land.”
At the same time, preparations and feasibility studies are already finalized in North Achefer to develop a wide area of land at a top of a plateau by diverting the water of Abay and Tana with motorized pump. This one is also undertaken by the state government to develop more than 300 hectares of land, he furthered.
Meanwhile, the governor expressed that there is also another mega irrigation dam project already studied by the federal government at Jema River. This would, as to him develop from 12 to 15 thousand hectares of land.
Mentioning that those are just few of the efforts, and insignificant when compare to the Zone’s potential, the Administrator urged investors to come and take part in the Zone’s development program for mutual benefits. His administration is quite ready to welcome such investors with due respect and civility.
As to him, more than 553,817 hectares of land of the Zone is arable land and 184 thousand of which is covered with maize in cluster that eases the tasks of agricultural experts and market linkage. Investors who can add value through processing the maize produce would have excess raw materials supply.
According to Goshu, so far there are nearly 70 investors who are already engaged in the agriculture sector; and many others are making preparations on a number of assets and projects in the Zone.
Tibebu Amare, Mayor of Finote Selam City Administration on his part noted that agriculture has been showing encouraging growth in the last 25 years, both in production and productivity by adopting modern practices. And this, as to him, has a big role in laying the ground works to transform the country’s economy.
Mulugeta Berhan, a farmer and a resident of Bure woreda also said that he is applying all technologies and practices recommended by agricultural extension experts. In turn, his agricultural yields have shown a massive rise in both production and rural incomes. He said that he is producing various yields including vegetables, fruits and coffee throughout the year through irrigated water.
According to him, government’s irrigation scheme along with improved seed, fertilizer and pest control technologies are the major contributers to increase farmers’ product and productivity.