Ethiopia imports 222,000 tons of grain for drought victims – Official

Copyright : APA

Ethiopia is importing 222,000 tons of grains to avoid supply shortage following the El Nino induced drought and to stabilize the market, the country’s Strategic Emergency Food Reserve Agency announced on Wednesday.

Gizaw Abute, the agency’s acting public relations director said they are also in the process of additional purchasing of 405,000 metric tons of grain as part of efforts to address the drought.

The procurement of the grains is also intended to control inflation as well, he said.

Of the procured 222,000 tons of grains, 50,000 tons have already arrived at Kombolcha warehouse, he adds.

During the past ten months, 220 million quintals of grains were distributed for the public via the Ethiopian Grain Trade Enterprise, he said.

The Ministry of Trade said the Ethiopian Grain Trade Enterprise has been distributing the wheat procured earlier to make the supply more dependable.

Source: http://en.starafrica.com/