Ministry of Agriculture Announces Major Irrigated Wheat Production Targets

Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture plans to cultivate 4.5 million hectares of irrigated wheat for the 2026/27 season, targeting a production of 189 million quintals (18.9 million tonnes). This represents a 27 percent increase from the previous season's 149 million quintals. Teshome Geletu, Lead Executive Officer for Crop Development, announced the initiative on October 31, aiming to boost national output and further reduce dependence on grain imports. The plan requires raising average yields to 42 quintals per hectare, up from 39.4. While the government continues to prioritize irrigated wheat to supplement rain-fed agriculture, the ministry has not yet disclosed specific regional breakdowns or the required agricultural inputs for these new targets.