Meles visits development activities in Eastern Tigray zone

Addis Ababa, April 5(ENA)-- A high level delegation led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi visited on Friday various agricultural development activities in three Woredas of Eastern Tigray Zone.

The delegation visited the irrigation development schemes carried out through the employment of modern and traditional methods by farmers in Klite Awlalo, Hawzen and Saesitseadi Woredas.

Head of the Tigray State water resources development bureau, Leul Kahsay told the delegation that the efforts launched by the farmers in the areas to cultivate lands by exploiting underground and river waters were encouraging.

The farmers were growing maize, vegetables and cereals with financial and material support from the government and non-governmental organizations, he said.

Leul said, the farmers were also carrying out the sinking of rain water-harvesting boreholes.

Administrators of the respective Woredas said on their part that a family level agricultural development package has been launched to help farmers attain food self-sufficiency.

Efforts were also well underway to help farmers to undertake small-scale irrigation development projects on individual basis, they said.

Meles has also visited irrigation development activities being undertaken by demobilized soldiers in Sulu locality and the distribution of relief food among drought-affected citizens in Klite Awlalo Woreda.

Meles urged the local farmers and demobilized soldiers to press ahead with their integrated rural development activities and pledged the support of the government in their endeavors to achieve food self-sufficiency.

Meles was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural Development, Addisu Legese and officials of the federal and state governments of the Oromiya and Amhara States.