FAO scales up procurement of fertiliser to help farmers in northern Ethiopia

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations disclosed that it is scaling up the urgent procurement of fertiliser to help farmers in northern Ethiopia sow their fields in the midst of the critical planting season.

The FAO, in a press statement issued late Monday, said the urgent procurement of fertiliser was underway with the help of a 10 million-U.S.-dollar loan recently approved by the United Nations’ Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

The loan, which forms part of resource partners’ commitments, is helping the FAO to accelerate the procurement and delivery of crucial agricultural inputs to Ethiopia’s conflict-affected northernmost Tigray region, particularly fertiliser, which must be delivered and applied by end of August 2022, read the statement.

It said the provision of fertiliser will help restore the productive capacity of farmers in the region, where there has been widespread disruption of agricultural activities, elevated levels of acute food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods since November 2020.

According to the FAO, if farmers receive the inputs they need, they will be able to harvest and begin consuming the produce from October 2022.

Agriculture is the main source of livelihoods for up to 80 per cent of Ethiopians, especially those living in rural areas, and their produce feeds the nation.

The FAO said with the rainfall performing well and the outlook foreseen to be favorable, the season offers a crucial and cost-effective opportunity to improve food production and food availability across the Tigray region.

The FAO and partners have so far procured just more than 19,000 tonnes of fertiliser (about 40 per cent of requirements), enough to meet the fertiliser needs of approximately 380,000 households.

The first batch of more than 7,000 tonnes has already been distributed to farmers in Tigray, it said. (Xinhua)