eyes on prize

Ethiopia seeks regional breadbasket title, boosts wheat production

By Fred Harter

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Posted on February 6, 2023 15:10

© Bags of wheat funded by the Ukrainian government are seen at a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Adama, Ethiopia, on January 12, 2023. (Photo by Amanuel Sileshi / AFP) — Bags of wheat funded by the Ukrainian government are seen at a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Adama, Ethiopia, on January 12, 2023. (Photo by Amanuel Sileshi / AFP)

Ethiopia is ramping up wheat production in a bid to transform itself from a net grain importer into a regional breadbasket that produces enough to export to its neighbours.

This is one of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s key policies as he seeks to modernise Ethiopia and shed the country’s old reputation as a poster child for famine. The initiative is being heavily promoted, with national television, government social media, and even promotional videos for the state carrier – Ethiopian Airlines – all flooded with images of vast, shimmering wheat fields.

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