Crop production in Ethiopia: Regional patterns and trends

Ethiopia’s crop agriculture is complex, involving substantial variation in crops grown across the country’s different regions and ecologies. Five major cereals (teff, wheat, maize, sorghum and barley) are the core of Ethiopia’s agriculture and food economy, accounting for about three-quarters of total area cultivated, 29 percent of agricultural GDP in 2005/06 (14 percent of total GDP) and 64 percent of calories consumed.1 There has been substantial growth in cereals, in terms of area cultivated, yields and production since 2000, but yields are low by international standards and overall production is highly susceptible to weather shocks, particularly droughts. Thus, both raising production levels and reducing its variability are essential aspects of improving food security in Ethiopia, both to help ensure adequate food availability, as well as to increase household incomes.