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Agriculture Development And Food Security Policy In Eritrea - An Analysis

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  • Rena, Ravinder

Abstract

The main economic activity of the people of Eritrea is agriculture: crop production and livestock herding. Agriculture mainly comprises mixed farming and some commercial concessions. Most agriculture is rain-fed. The main rain-fed crops are sorghum, millet and sesame, and the main irrigated crops are all horticultural crops like bananas, onions and tomatoes and cotton. The major livestock production constraints are disease, water and feed shortages and agricultural expansion especially in the river frontages. The agricultural sector employs eighty percent of the working population, but its production has not managed to cover internal food demand and is forced to cover nearly 50 per cent of its annual cereal requirements through imports-commercial and food assistance. Like most African countries, Eritrea is also a victim of the problem of food insecurity. In good years the country produces only about 60 per cent of its total food needs and in poor years, it produces no more than 25 per cent. On average, once in 10 years, the country is threatened with famines. Annual crop production depends on rainfall that is variable and unevenly distributed from year to year. Therefore, the primary goal of Eritrea is to guarantee food security by introducing modern technology, irrigation, terracing, soil and water conservation, with less dependence on rainwater. Thus the Government has articulated its food policy, which stresses national ownership of grant food assistance and to achieve food security in the coming five years. The policy indeed encompasses all sectoral policies and represents the Government’s engagements with regard to food security. Despite the general trends of improvement in the economy of Eritrea, it has not yet fully recovered, and thus will still continue to require variable degrees of food assistance for the coming few more years. Based on this historical and recurrent food insecurity in Eritrea, an attempt is made in this paper to assess the agriculture development and food policy in the country. Furthermore, the paper captures the available food security policy proposals of Eritrea and eventually draws conclusions.

Suggested Citation

  • Rena, Ravinder, 2005. "Agriculture Development And Food Security Policy In Eritrea - An Analysis," MPRA Paper 10791, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Sep 2006.
  • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:10791
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/10791/1/MPRA_paper_10791.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rena, Ravinder, 2003. "Emerging Eritrean Agriculture In Accordance With Global Competition: A Case Study On Elabered Estate," MPRA Paper 10317, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 17 Jun 2004.
    2. Rena, Ravinder, 2003. "Green revolution: Indian agricultural experience – a paradigm for Eritrea," MPRA Paper 10838, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 24 May 2003.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agriculture; Food Security; Food Policy; Eritrea; Agriculture Technology;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • J43 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Agricultural Labor Markets
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q14 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Finance
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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