Boosting quality, quantity of agricultural products essential: Department

Addis Ababa, July 5(ENA)-- The ongoing agricultural activities in Ethiopia must be directed towards raising the quality as well as the quantity of products and target markets, the Information and Public Relations Department with the Ministry of Information said.

The Department said, "raising the quality standard and quantity of the products is the only way that promotes demands and creates markets."

It said such a need was felt as the "unprecedented" 80 percent increase in grain production in the last six or seven years brought ironically about "unforeseen" problems related to marketing.

"Since the introduction and the implementation of the agricultural extension programme which increased productivity, a decrease in price was encountered," it said, adding "the current price for the agricultural products of cereals is the lowest ever known in our country."

According to the department, the government's utmost concern at present is not only how much yield per hectare is produced, but how much the producers have benefited. "Striving to raise the productivity and improve quality is the most crucial essence of our agricultural work at present," it indicated.

"Success in this endeavor will certainly overcome the marketing problems, and thereby contribute greatly to our economic growth," it said.

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