Addis Ababa, August 10, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s drive to transform agriculture is increasingly shifting production away from dependence on rainfall, with major irrigation development underway in Oromia and notable results already emerging in Borena and Bale zones, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.
Speaking in the second episode of his interview with local media OBN, aired on Fana Media Corporation (FMC) platforms last night, the Prime Minister cited irrigation development in Oromia among the major economic reforms being implemented across the country.
He pointed to the experience of Borena and Bale as evidence of what the expansion of irrigation can deliver, highlighting the results recorded in the two zones as an indication of the growing potential of water-based agricultural production.
The emphasis on irrigation forms part of a broader effort to strengthen Ethiopia’s productive capacity by making agriculture less vulnerable to the limitations of rain-fed farming. Expanding access to water for cultivation can allow farmers to produce more consistently and create opportunities for agricultural activity beyond traditional seasonal cycles.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the expansion of pre-primary education as another area in which substantial work has been undertaken, reflecting a wider reform agenda extending beyond the economy into social development.
He said the changes underway in different sectors are being pursued as part of a broader national transformation, with reforms intended to generate tangible improvements in people’s lives and expand the country’s development potential.
The agricultural transformation has extended well beyond irrigation. Over recent years, reforms have sought to raise productivity, diversify production and strengthen the links between farmers, markets and agro-processing, marking a significant shift from an agricultural model heavily constrained by rain dependence and limited production capacity.
The expansion of irrigation has been accompanied by efforts to promote mechanization, improve agricultural inputs, strengthen farmer cooperatives and expand access to modern production technologies. These measures have increasingly positioned agriculture not only as a source of food for domestic consumption but also as a foundation for industrial development, value addition and exports.
The drive for agricultural self-sufficiency has also produced visible changes in several areas of production. Ethiopia has made major progress in expanding irrigated wheat production, while initiatives focused on horticulture, livestock and other high-value agricultural activities have sought to broaden the country’s productive base.
The reforms have further emphasized the development of agricultural value chains, connecting increased farm production with agro-processing and markets. This approach is intended to ensure that higher agricultural output translates into greater income for producers, expanded industrial activity and stronger export potential.
Seen against this broader trajectory, the results cited by the Prime Minister in Borena and Bale represent part of a wider attempt to change the structural foundations of Ethiopian agriculture. The central shift is from an overwhelmingly rain-dependent production system toward one increasingly supported by irrigation, technology, improved inputs, mechanization and market-oriented value chains.
The approach also reflects a broader change in the role assigned to agriculture in Ethiopia’s development strategy: from primarily sustaining livelihoods and meeting subsistence needs toward becoming a more productive, commercially oriented sector capable of supporting food security, industrialization, employment and economic growth.
The significance of this shift extends beyond Ethiopia’s borders. A more productive and climate-resilient agricultural system in one of Africa’s most populous countries has implications for regional food security, agricultural trade and the development of agro-industrial value chains across East Africa.
Ethiopia’s irrigation push is particularly significant in a region where agriculture remains highly exposed to rainfall variability and climate shocks. Expanding water-managed production can help countries with similar conditions move toward more predictable agricultural output while creating opportunities for cross-border trade in food and agricultural commodities.
The country’s recent agricultural experience has also attracted growing international attention, particularly around its wheat production drive and efforts to expand irrigated agriculture. Ethiopia’s progress from being heavily dependent on wheat imports to achieving wheat self-sufficiency and subsequently entering export markets has increasingly been cited as an example of how targeted agricultural policy, irrigation expansion and productivity measures can alter a country’s food-security trajectory.
The transformation has also been recognized through Ethiopia’s growing engagement in international agricultural and food-security platforms, where its experience has increasingly been presented as a case of large-scale agricultural reform in a climate-vulnerable developing economy.
For Ethiopia, however, the significance goes beyond international recognition. The agricultural reforms are intended to establish a more resilient production base capable of feeding a growing population, supplying raw materials for industry, generating rural employment and creating export earnings. In that sense, the irrigation results highlighted by the Prime Minister point to a broader effort to reposition agriculture at the center of the country’s economic transformation.
The emerging experience also gives Ethiopia a potentially important role in sharing agricultural practices with other African countries facing similar challenges, particularly in irrigation development, wheat production, mechanization and the transition from subsistence-oriented farming toward commercially integrated agricultural value chains.