ADDIS ABABA — The Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise (ESL) has assured that the transportation of fertilizers for the upcoming farming season is set to proceed without disruptions, benefiting from enhanced coordination and readiness.
According to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), the ESL has initiated the movement of fertilizers for the 2016-17 Ethiopian fiscal year, with CEO Barisso Amelo emphasizing that this year’s operation has commenced in a more efficient and systematic manner compared to the previous year, which experienced significant delays.
The Vice President of the Prosperity Party, Adem Farah, recently visited Djibouti’s Old Port, where he declared the start of the fertilizer transportation efforts. In reflection of past challenges, CEO Amelo highlighted that the early onset of this season's logistics is in direct response to the government's instructions to avoid previous supply issues.
The current transport operation is a collaborative effort, involving the Ministry of Agriculture, railway authorities, and other key stakeholders. This coordination is aimed at ensuring that farmers receive the necessary fertilizers promptly, Amelo added.
Further commenting on the matter, Dhenge Boru, the State Minister of Transport and Logistics, noted that national agricultural development and productivity have seen a rise due to the government's focus on the timely provision of farming inputs. Dhenge expressed that the ongoing emphasis on agricultural inputs is central to the government's plan to double agricultural productivity in the intermediate phase of the ten-year development and investment plan.
The State Minister underscored the importance of on-time fertilizer supply, stating that arrangements for efficient logistic support are already in place to facilitate this process.
Moreover, ESL disclosed that over 20,000 metric tons of fertilizers designated for this production year are currently being offloaded from vessels. High-level delegations from the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture are meeting with Djiboutian officials to expedite the inland transportation logistics, aiming to strategically preposition fertilizer shipments for timely distribution to Ethiopian farmers.