October 5, 2017 - The government of Ethiopia has launched National Horticulture Development and Transaction Strategy, which aims at creating conducive environment for modernized horticulture development, reports Ethiopian News Agency. The strategy will play a significant role in improving productivity and quality of horticultural products, said Tesfaye Mengistu, State Minister of Ethiopian Agriculture and Natural Resource.
Improving quality and productivity, as well as modernizing the sector are the priority areas expected to attain through the strategy. The strategy, to be implemented over the next ten years, will allow providing extension services for Ethiopian small-holder farmers and investors that would enhance the development of the sector.
Lack of knowledge, early warning, evaluation, and observation mechanism as well as up-to-date technologies are some of the constraints that hinder the development of the sector.The strategy is aimed at enhancing the development of the sector by addressing these and other existing bottlenecks in the sector.
It will also play important role in improving supply of raw materials for agro-industries that are expected to flourish with the development of integrated agro-processing industrial parks, Tesfaye said.
He further explained that the strategy will create conducive environment for stakeholders by creating strong logistics, information and financial systems.
Ethiopia, through the second five-year GTP, has planned to develop horticultural products on 4.1 million hectares of land.
Source: Ethiopia News Agency