Ethiopian Review

The production of sesame, wheat, maize and beans has increased in the last five years, a study on the demand and supply of food grains by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Authority (ECX) released Thursday indicated.

Within the last five years, the production of foodgrains increased by 68 percent and the per capita production increased by 2.23 percent. The production increased by 5 percent during the current fiscal year.

The study identified three groups of consumers like the households of the farmers which account for 60 percent of the consumption, while the marketable surplus is 21 percent and the remaining 18 percent is set aside for animal feed and other purposes.

The study indicated that the price of some of the foodgrains, especially wheat, decreased as a result of improved production techniques and some measures the government had taken to stabilize the market. Greater percentage of wheat is being sold and consumed locally than that which is exported.

The production of wheat increased in the fiscal year that just ended by 11 percent compared with the previous one while its price had decreased. Of the total wheat produced in the country, 54 percent is consumed by farmers’ families while 21 percent is the market surplus.

Sesame constitutes the highest production because about 72 percent of the produce is for market while only 14 percent of it is for family consumption.

Transactions at the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Authority for the last two years were three buyers for one seller (maize), three buyers for one wheat seller, and three buyers for three sellers for sesame.

Since ECX started work in April last year maize, wheat, beans and sesame are being sold at its market. About 9,600 sacks of maize, 900 sacks of wheat and 365 sacks of beans were sold in the last fiscal year. No sesame had been sold until May this year but about 2,201 sacks were sold since then.

The amount of sesame, wheat, maize and beans sold daily at the Mesalemia local market is greater than that at the ECX while the prices vary, sometimes higher at the ECX other times at the Mesalemia market.

- By Yelibenwork Ayele | Ethiopian Reporter