Officials at the Ministry of Agriculture are setting in motion a strategy to reverse decades of soil degradation and unlock higher crop productivity, with the proposed establishment of a federal agencies, Soil Health & Fertiliser Institute and a National Reference Soil Laboratory.

Together, the initiatives are expected to inject science and data into a sector long constrained by outdated practices, low fertiliser efficiency, and inadequate soil knowledge, at an estimated combined cost of nearly 28 million dollars.

The Institute, with a planned budget of 5.1 million dollars, will serve as the foundation of a three-year plan to centralise efforts to improve fertiliser use and soil recovery. A more ambitious 22.9 million dollar investment will fund the establishment of the Soil Laboratory by 2028. Both institutions are formulated within a 10-year national roadmap that envisions agriculture transformed into a precision, data-driven enterprise.

The planned laboratory is expected to function as a regulatory and advisory nerve centre, setting analytical standards, validating local testing labs, regulating fertiliser composition, and guiding evidence-based agronomic decisions at the grassroots level.

Agriculture is the backbone of Ethiopia’s economy, accounting for approximately 31.8pc of GDP and employing an estimated 85pc of the population. However, the sector continues to face structural challenges tied to soil degradation, nutrient depletion, soil acidity, erosion, and inefficient use of fertilisers. According to the new roadmap, fertiliser application rates remain low, at 37.8KG a hectare, while soil organic matter and nutrient levels have dropped across many highland farming areas.

Developed by the Ministry and set for phased rollout, the 10-year roadmap puts a national reference soil and plant analysis laboratory at the centre of efforts to address longstanding gaps in soil testing, data quality, and site-specific fertiliser recommendations. The laboratory is expected to become a national quality-control hub, supporting standardised soil analytics, regulating fertiliser, and supplying evidence-based advisory services for farmers and agricultural institutions.

One of the main institutional pillars of the roadmap is strengthening soil information systems. While projects like the Ethiopian Soil Information System (EthioSIS) have laid the groundwork for mapping and data collection, officials acknowledge that gaps in coverage, analytics, and system integration persist, limiting the delivery of tailored agronomic advice to farmers. The new plan calls for expanding the National Soil Information System, developing a national soil spectral library, and upgrading digital geoportals with decision-support tools and interactive dashboards that can guide farmers and policymakers.

The economic urgency behind the new strategy is underpinned by a sharp rise in international fertiliser prices, with Urea trading at about 488 dollars a ton and diammonium phosphate (DAP) at around 771 dollars a ton. These prices represent a steep increase from previous years and have put additional pressure on Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, which has long depended on imported fertilisers to support production.

The federal government projects a total investment requirement of 3.2 billion dollars over the next decade. Of this sum, three billion dollars is earmarked to establish domestic mineral fertiliser manufacturing through public–private partnerships to reduce dependence on costly imports and the volatility of global prices. Additional financing mechanisms outlined in the roadmap include upgrading the Ethiopian Fertiliser Financing Mechanism and setting up a dedicated soil health research and innovation fund.

The roadmap also places strong emphasis on boosting domestic production of mineral and organic fertilisers, promoting green ammonia, and encouraging private-sector participation in distribution and advisory services. Youth- and women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises are expected to play an active role in producing and marketing organic fertilisers and soil amendments, as part of efforts to create new rural jobs and support sustainable farming practices.

The plan sets ambitious targets for the next decade. The authorities seek to expand land under sustainable soil management from 5.8 million to 12.5 million hectares, increase integrated soil fertility management coverage to 60pc of all farmland, reclaim three million hectares of acidic soils, and raise fertiliser application rates to at least 100Kg a hectare. Yield targets are equally bold, with plans to lift wheat productivity from 3.9tns to 4.9tns a hectare and increase teff yields from 1.8tns to 2.7tns.

Soil scientists also call for institutional reform.

According to Dejene Abera (PhD), a soil researcher at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and a soil service management team leader, highly diverse soils require a detailed understanding through systematic analysis and research. Dejene, who studied in the Netherlands and at Haramaya University, stated soil characterisation is critical for determining proper fertiliser types and application rates.

He argues that this requires a qualified and standardised national reference laboratory capable of evaluating soil samples and overseeing the performance of other laboratories.

Responsibility for implementation will rest with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Development Sector, which will coordinate with regional bureaus, research institutions, development partners, and private-sector players.

Despite the ambitious scope of the new policy, officials are reluctant to speak publicly about the details. State Minister for Natural Resources Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, Eyasu Elias (PhD), declined to comment on the roadmap and the proposed institutions.