Addis Ababa, August 14, 2025 (FMC) – Addis Ababa, August 14, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopia’s Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) has announced plans to add 50,000 metric tons of agricultural produce to the country’s national emergency reserve during the current Meher (main rainy season) of the 2017 Ethiopian Year, Commissioner Shiferaw Teklemariam said.
Commissioner Shiferaw emphasized that strengthening the national reserve is a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s broader strategy to ensure food sovereignty. He highlighted that the country’s robust agricultural productivity across all sectors is playing a pivotal role in enhancing the capacity of the emergency reserve.
A system has been established to enable regional governments to build their own reserves, allowing for rapid, localized responses to citizens in need. To support this initiative, a 3-billion-Birr fund has been allocated to improve crop productivity specifically for reserve purposes.
According to the Commissioner, Ethiopia requires a strategic grain reserve of 500,000 metric tons to adequately respond to potential emergencies. During this first phase of the 2017 Meher season, the target is to secure 50,000 metric tons. Regional states will contribute based on their agricultural potential, transferring a portion of their harvest to the national reserve.
Shiferaw noted that this approach not only strengthens food security but also helps stabilize market prices and incentivizes higher agricultural output, thereby boosting overall productivity. A national coordinating committee has been formed to oversee the initiative and provide financial support to regions facing shortfalls.
Ganta Gama’a, Commissioner of the South Ethiopia Regional Disaster Risk Management Commission, underscored that the region’s disaster risk reserve fund regulation has created new avenues for resource mobilization and emergency preparedness. He pointed out that, in the previous Ethiopian year, the region secured over 22,600 quintals of grain for emergency purposes.
Building on that success, the region has set aside a 1-billion-Birr reserve fund for the current year and cultivated 6,300 hectares of land to further expand its food grain storage capacity.