Agriculture Ministry Receives 250 Handheld Sprayers

Oct 24 , 2020


[ssba-buttons]

The Ethiopian Agricultural Business Corporation has provided 250 handheld sprayers to the Ministry of Agriculture to buttress the fight against the desert locust infestation plaguing the country. The Ministry receives the support in its fight against the locust swarms, which are destroying crops and heavily impacting the livelihoods of the community in different parts of the country, according to Minister Oumer Hussien. "The donation from the Corporation will be instrumental in reinforcing measures against the infestation," said Oumer. The Chinese government has also donated different pesticides, personal protective gear, and sprayers to help the government of Ethiopia in its campaign against the desert locust invasion. Assessment from the Ministry of Agriculture shows that close to 281,000ha of land have been infested by locusts, with severe implications for crop harvests and livelihoods. A little over half of this land has been treated with pesticides since July.


Radar

US Renews National Emergency, Sanctions on Ethiopia

The United States has extended the national emergency and sanctions on Ethiopia for another year under the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA). Signed by President Donald J. Trump, the measure was first declared on September 17, 2021, through an executive order citing the conflict in northern region of the country as an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The extension, effective until September 17, 2026, keeps in place restrictions targeti...


Radar

Rockefeller Pitches Clean Cooking to Curb School Meal Emissions

A recent study has revealed the staggering environmental toll of school feeding programs. A single school serving 400 students can burn through the equivalent of 56 hectares of forest each year to fuel cooking. The Rockefeller Foundation flagged the health risks too, with most cooks, predominantly women, breathing smoke levels ten times higher than the World Health Organisation's safe limit. "If every school meal transitioned to clean cooking with electricity and solar, the emissions saved wo...


Radar

Sun-Powered Grid Brings Light to Qunbi District

A new 600KW solar mini-grid in East Hararge'sQunbi district has connected 2,200 households to electricity, marking a milestone in the recent rural electrification push. Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) laid seven kilometres of medium-voltage and 10 kilometres of low-voltage lines, installing four transformers to reach communities long cut off from power. Customers cover only meter and installation costs before accessing the service. The project is part of the national strategy to expand energ...