According to research findings presented at the launching ceremony, held at the Hilton Hotel, poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition remain key development challenges in Ethiopia and the country has to shape its agricultural policy framework in a way to curb these and meet the Minimum Development Goals (MDG).
Although the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line in Ethiopia has declined from 42Pct in 2000 to 29.6Pct in 2014, the 2014 Human Development Report ranks Ethiopia 173rd out of 187 countries, which is below the average for sub-Saharan countries.
“We want to continue what is already started in the agriculture sector and improve capacity related problems,” said Mitiku Kassa, state minister of Agriculture. Mitiku also announced that the MoA will start a new phase of the Safety Net Program in January 2015. The Program is expected to last for six years and will cost an estimated USD3.6 billion.
