Ethiopia Agricultural irrigation capacity is low

Ethiopian State Minister for Water Resources • Adu that good Besa (AdugnaJabessa) noted that although Ethiopia is rich in resources, but the socio-economic changes in agricultural irrigation and did not play its due role. That Adu • Good Besa said that under the Irrigation Development Project (IDP) in the planning, the 15 years in the 2002-2016 period, Ethiopia also need to develop 274,000 hectares of irrigated area than the existing irrigated area increased by 135%. However, the level of irrigation in the country under the status quo generally low, if not through the use of abundant groundwater resources to improve irrigation capacity, this objective may not be achieved. In the "water resources management and the Ethiopian agriculture" opening of the workshop, Adu that • Good Besa made a speech. "As we all know, Ethiopia has abundant surface water and groundwater resources. But people's survival, but food production has not been fully developed, and not for the country's socio-economic transformation to play due role. National irrigation potential in the 3-4 million ha may, but currently only about 5% of the development, which is sufficient to show that the future development of irrigated agriculture is still very broad. "Adu • Good Besa also noted that Ethiopia's water infrastructure is very weak, very limited water resources management capacity, thus resulting in Ethiopian less able to cope with climate anomalies. "It is no exaggeration to say that water infrastructure status determines Ethiopia's economic development, but also the cause of poverty continues to spread. "Low capacity for agricultural production in Ethiopia, Israel Embassy in Ethiopia organized the two-day seminar on the development of new trends in irrigated agriculture expanded research and discussion. The seminar can renewable energy - bio-energy recycling issues, drip irrigation under sugarcane cultivation, vegetable marketing channels in Europe, rice cultivation under drip irrigation technology such as the topic. Israel's ambassador to Ethiopia Yaka Fu • Aimi Tai (YaacovAmitai) said that the seminar can be held smoothly, on the one hand thanks to leading Israeli Irrigation Systems - Netafim (NETAFIM) willing to share their experiences and technology, which is also in line with the Israeli Foreign Ministry MASHAV Center for International Exchange International Cooperation Programme (Mashav) established practice; the other hand, benefited from the Ethiopian Government recognizes the expansion of irrigation, the introduction of the importance of modern advanced irrigation technology. Israeli MASHAV international cooperation programs and Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development launched a three-year technical cooperation project, water management and irrigation is one of the important contents. Based on this technical cooperation project, has been Hao preta (Holeta) and Mel Casa (Melkasa) established a demonstration garden irrigation, the purpose is in this way the irrigation knowledge to Ethiopian farmers. Yaka Fu • Aimi Tai ambassador said that through sharing experiences and technologies, such as Israel, Netafim private enterprises will help Ethiopia develop cash crops play an important role. The seminar involving bio-energy crops, sugarcane, cotton, tea, coffee, fruit, vegetables and other irrigation issues, but also reflects the conference organizers tried to Ethiopian high-value cash crops, as well as tea, coffee and other traditional crops, bio-energy, etc. provide experience and technical support. He also said that in the past three years, Netafim has given some of Ethiopia's most advanced agricultural companies drip irrigation equipment, and has been for local farmers to provide technical support and training.