Speaking at consultative meeting on resource mobilization for sustainable irrigation system yesterday, State Minister Frenesh Mekuria said that the nation's overall small scale irrigation activities in last dry season (bega) were encouraging.

 

She said that despite El-Nino impacts, the nation managed to meet set goals irrigating over 2.6 million hectares last fiscal year alone.

 

According to Frenesh, every farmer needs to have at least an alternative water resource in a bid to cultivate twice or more annually and ensure food security in the near future as well.

 

As to last year's performance review, unsatisfactory utilization of fertilizer on irrigated plots, lack of spare parts for water pumps, failure to create market access for farmers engaged in small-scale irrigation and others were the major challenges in the agricultural activities.

 

The nation has planned to irrigate up to 4.1 million hectares of land in GTP II. As to available data, some five million hectares of land could be irrigated in the country.

 

Ethiopia

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Source : allafrica.com