Addis Ababa, 08 June 2026 (Ministry of Agriculture)
The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with international development partners and other key stakeholders, colorfully celebrated World Milk Day under the theme “Celebrating women farmers from village to every home, their contribution keeps the nation nourished and strong”.
The celebration was held alongside a high-level stakeholder consultation forum dedicated to dairy resource development and value chain integration. Opening the forum, State Minister for Agriculture, Fikru Regassa (PhD), emphasized that the government’s flagship program Bounty of the Basket (Yelemat Trufat) initiative is currently playing a transformative role in rapidly boosting national milk production and overall productivity.
Dr. Fikru explained that the program has opened up immense opportunities for the agricultural sector by prioritizing targeted breed improvement, securing animal feed supply, and enhancing veterinary health services, through mobilizing a wide network of public and private stakeholders.
As a direct result of these strategic interventions, the country’s annual milk production has seen exponential growth, from 7.1 billion liters in 2022 to 16 billion liters in 2026. He added that the World Milk Day forum serves as a vital platform to review ongoing transformation activities, share best practices, and map out future strategic directions for the entire dairy ecosystem.
The representative of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Ethiopia, Namakolo Covic (PhD), pointed out that nutrition must always be at the forefront of the conversation when observing World Milk Day.
She strongly urged stakeholders to scale up dairy development initiatives nationwide, emphasizing that increased milk consumption is one of the most effective tools to combat child malnutrition and prevent childhood stunting across rural and urban communities.
The Director General of the Livestock Development Institute, Asrat Tera (PhD), presented significant technical milestones reached, revealing that more than 500 artificial insemination technicians have been trained to enhance livestock genetics. Due to this, this initiative has successfully led to the insemination of 4.9 million cows across the country.
The Lead Executive for Livestock and Fishery Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, Azize Ayalew, stated that the dairy sector remains a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s broader agricultural economy. He noted that the World Milk Day provided an opportunity to create stronger market linkages, encouraging collaboration, and building a more resilient network among all actors in the dairy supply chain.
Reporter: Bahiru Setegne
Photographer: Getachew Mitiku
