World Grain - September 2019 - 19

Ethiopia wheat production, imports
(in 1,000 tonnes)

5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000

2019-20**

2017-18

Production

2016-17

2015-16

2014-15

2013-14

Imports

2018-19*

0
2012-13

programs; there was favorable rainfall distribution during the
short (belg) and the long rainy seasons (meher), better input
supply, and availability of farm machines for rent for small
scale farmers," the report said.
The report explained that grains are an essential part of the
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intake.
The government maintains a ban on exports, although the
attaché said "some informal trade is occurring in grain producing areas located along the borders, depending on the production situation of the neighboring countries."
"Grain imports are exclusively limited to wheat," the report
said. "The Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ethiopian Trading
and Business Corporation (ETBC) and Public Procurement
and Property Disposal Service (PPPDS) controls wheat imports, except food aid, and oversees bread subsidy schemes.
³2QO\GHVLJQDWHGÀRXUPLOOVPRVWO\LQDQGDURXQGWKHFDSLtal city, can buy the subsidized wheat from the government
DWDGLVFRXQWHGSULFHPLOOWKHZKHDWDQGWKHQVHOOÀRXUDWD
¿[HGSULFHWRVHOHFWHGEDNHULHVLQ$GGLV$EDEDDQGVXUURXQGing towns."
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in the country, with a total production capacity of around 4.2
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"Mills are able to obtain wheat through two channels: subsidized government wheat and domestic wheat on the open
market, whose price is higher than the subsidized import
price," the report said.
"Wheat is used to make important traditional staple foods
like local bread, porridge (genfo), local beer (tela), roasted
JUDLQ.RORERLOHGJUDLQQLIURSDVWDDQGGL൵HUHQWFRQIHFtionery products," the attaché noted in its report.
The report also said the government subsidizes wheat imSRUWVDQGVHOOVWRFRQWUDFWHGODUJHÀRXUPLOOHUVZKRVHOOÀRXU
WREDNHULHVDW¿[HGSULFHV
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capped price," the report said.
Most millers operate at 50% below designed capacity primarily because of reduced supply of subsidized wheat from
the government and frequent electric power interruptions, the
report said.

*Estimated **Projected

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

with poor fertility and high soil degradation."
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intake in eastern and northwest areas of Ethiopia.
³$ERXWWKUHHTXDUWHUVRIWKHVRUJKXPJUDLQLQ(WKLRSLDLV
used for making injera (the traditional bread)," the attaché
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with the remainder held for seed."
Demand for barley has increased as the result of the construction of a new beer factory.
"Two of the world's largest breweries, Heineken and Diageo, are working with farmers to produce malt barley for their
industries," the attaché said.

OILSEEDS PRODUCTION
The attaché explained in a report dated June 14, 2018, that
oilseeds play an important role in Ethiopia's exports. The biggest export oilseed is sesame, followed by Niger seed and
soybeans.
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tonnes, noting that output has risen from 35,000 tonnes in
2011-12.
"Most of this growth in production was due to an increase
GRAIN PRODUCTION
in the area planted, especially from commercial farms, which
$FFRUGLQJWRWKH86'$DWWDFKpWKHUHDUHVRPHPLOOLRQVPDOO DUHIHZLQQXPEHU´WKHUHSRUWVDLG³$ERXWKDOIRIWRWDOVR\land holders involved in the production of maize in Ethiopia. bean production is said to come from these bigger commercial
Larger commercial farms have been helped to achieve better operations, some of which are rotating or inter-planting soyyields by the increased availability of hybrid seed.
beans with other crops. Improved yields also contributed to
$OWKRXJKRIPDL]HLQWKHFRXQWU\LVXVHGDVIRRGGH- production increases."
mand for maize for animal feed - especially for poultry - is
increasing.
Chris Lyddon is World Grain's European correspondent.
He may be contacted at: chris.lyddon@ntlworld.com.
Sorghum is grown by around 4.8 million smallholder
farmers, described by the attaché as "resource poor" and
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working "typically under adverse conditions in the eastern
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World Grain - September 2019

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