Japan provides 100 mln birr worth fertilizer to Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, 15 April 2014 (WIC) - A grant aid signing ceremony was held today between the governments of Japan and Ethiopia.

According to a statement the Embassy of Japan sent to WIC, the signing ceremony was attended by Kazuhiro Suzuki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ethiopia and Ahmed Shide, State Minister of Finance and Economic Development of Ethiopia.

Ambassador Suzuki on the occasion said that under this grant aid, Japan extends approximately 100 million birr as a contribution to Ethiopian farmers, which is a symbol of the friendship between Ethiopia and Japan.

He said Japan’s assistance not only covers such areas as the construction of roads and bridges and the promotion of the idea of ‘Kaizen’ in the public sector but also Ethiopia’s agriculture.


Indeed, agriculture remains the largest sector of the Ethiopian economy and improving its productivity will contribute significantly to Ethiopia’s economic growth.

Agriculture is also extremely important for the alleviation of poverty. If economic growth leading to significant poverty reduction is to occur in Ethiopia, it will require the development of both the agricultural and industrial to be the engines of the growth.

He said that Japan will continue to support Ethiopia’s efforts to achieve the goals set out in the GTP.

Remembering the visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Ethiopia, he recalled a number of agreements reached between the two Prime Ministers on a variety of topics including the project signed today as one of those that PM Abe committed during his visit in January this year.