Topics & Events

JICA, together with the Ethiopian Policy Studies Institute (PSI), hosted a seminar with various stakeholders in the agriculture sector, including Federal and regional government officials, international organizations and academic institutions, to revitalize the dialogue on agriculture mechanization and commercialization towards improving agricultural production and productivity in Ethiopia.

The seminar was led by Professor Keijiro Otsuka from Kobe University; who, in addition to teaching development economics, is also a senior researcher of agricultural development in Asia and Africa at the Institute of Developing Economies in Tokyo.

During the presentations, recommendations were made on how to expand large-scale commercial farming, especially in lowland areas of Ethiopia where the abundance of arable land, coupled with sparse population, would make it ideal for large-scale farms. However, Professor Otsuka also pointed out that studies of Asian countries have found land utilization by large-scale farmers to be much lower than that of smallholder famers.

For Ethiopia, it will be necessary to build-up the capacity of smallholder farmers while promoting commercialization in select areas. Certain policies should also be revised to create an enabling environment where machinery and land can be rented for large-scale farming. In addition, lively discussions took place on market-driven transformations towards commercialization and mechanization.

With over 40 representatives in attendance, the seminar was graced with the presence H.E. Mr. Daisuke Matsunaga, Ambassador of Japan and Mr. Ahmed Abitew, Director General, PSI. The occasion served as an opportunity for government officials, researchers and agriculture experts to ask questions and discuss about the needs, challenges and prospects of agricultural mechanization and commercialization efforts in Ethiopia.

Group photo of the seminar attendees