The Ethiopian Agricultural Policy designed by late Prime Minster Meles Zenawi, which centered on small scale farming has become successful and shown the rest of the world that his policy direction was right from the beginning.
Economic Adviser to the PM, Neway Gebrean made this remark in an event organized at the Economic Commission for Africa(ECA) to mark the fifth year commemoration of the Meles Zenawi.
Higher government officials, scholars and religious leaders were in attendance.
According to Neway, the government was primarily focusing on small scale farming, considering that the majority of the population are agrarian, which makes the focus mandatory.
He said that the Ethiopian economic growth, which has been achieved by putting the small scale farming at the center is an example for the rest of the world.
According to him, if the country is able to replicate the success it has made in transforming the agriculture to industrialization, it will certainly achieve industrialization in the coming 15-20 years.
Though the country made a leap forward in industry sector, he said that still the agriculture sector shall not be “underestimated.”
According to Neway, the small scale farming, which many argue as non-existent and inefficient comparing against commercial farming models proved to be productive.
The country has managed to increase yield per hectare in small scale farming, he added.