Bishoftu, July 24, 2026 (Ministry of Agriculture) โ A review meeting of the Implementation Support Mission for the Desert Locust Control Project was held in the presence of federal and regional government officials, representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the World Bank, and other relevant stakeholders.
The Desert Locust Control Project, financed by the World Bank, has been implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture since the 2019/20 Ethiopian fiscal year with a budget of US$123 million. It is currently being implemented in 311 districts across the country.
Sintayehu Demse, Head of the Food Security Coordination Office at the Ministry of Agriculture and Coordinator of the Desert Locust Control Project, stated that the project is designed to benefit the public and that all activities should effectively support farmers and pastoralists.
She further noted that stakeholders should recognize the potential risks associated with climate change and work closely with local communities. She emphasized that each institution should fully understand and effectively carry out its responsibilities during the remaining five months of project implementation.
Hanna Kristina, Regional Representative of the Desert Locust Control Project, said that the review meeting provides a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and successfully implement the remaining project activities before the project closes.
Eyasu Tsegaye, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for the Desert Locust Control Project, presented the project’s overall performance report. He explained that the project has conducted surveillance across 11.6 million hectares of land and has successfully protected more than 505,000 hectares from desert locust infestations.
The report also indicated that more than 260,000 hectares of land have been restored to productive use. In addition, the project has delivered capacity-building training, public awareness activities, and support through the provision of vehicles and other essential equipment.
Since becoming operational in the 2020/21 Ethiopian fiscal year, the project has also provided livelihood recovery assistance to communities affected by desert locust infestations. This support has included the distribution of fertilizers, improved crop seeds, forage seeds for livestock, and assistance in strengthening market linkages. As a result, more than one million farmers and pastoralists have directly benefited from the project.
