Addis Ababa, 19 May 2026, Ministry of Agriculture — Ethiopia’s livestock sector has entered a transformative new chapter, marked by monumental achievements in production and productivity over the past years.
In this regard, ‘Yelemat Tirufat’ (Bounty of the Basket) initiative has brought significant improvements in livestock production, productivity and food security across the country.
One of the major achievements has been livestock breed improvement and its services aimed at increasing milk production. These efforts have substantially strengthened dairy productivity nationwide. As a result, Ethiopia’s annual milk production has currently risen to 11.7 billion liters (2026) from 5.8 billion liters (2022).
The initiative has also revitalized the poultry, beekeeping, and fisheries sectors. Large-scale distribution of day-old chickens (from 26 million to 131.2 million), modern beehives (from 1.2 million to 2.7 million), and fish fingerlings have created new opportunities for producers and stimulated rapid sectoral growth.
These coordinated efforts have not only boosted production but have also contributed positively to improving nutrition and strengthening food security.
For this reason, integrated development villages have been established to increase dairy, poultry, honey, and fish production throughout the country thereby ensuring sustainability and improved coordination.
These villages play a vital role in improving breed and input supply systems, modernizing animal feed and forage development, expanding animal health services, and creating direct market connections between producers and consumers.
Consequently, the ‘Yelemat Tirufat’ program has proven to be a successful journey that has practically demonstrated transition of Ethiopia’s livestock resources into a new era of prosperity.
Bahiru Setegne
