Ethiopia and Mexico to sign MOU in agriculture sector soon

Addis Ababa, April 10, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopia and Mexico have held bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation in the agricultural sector.

Minister of Agriculture Girma Amente (PhD) met with the Ambassador of Mexico to Ethiopia, Alejandro Ives Estivill Castro, to explore areas of collaboration including agricultural technologies, value chain development, irrigation, drought-resistant crops, soil health, and Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative.

Minister Girma emphasized Ethiopia’s priority in improving soil health and expressed interest in deepening cooperation with Mexico in this field. He highlighted the country’s shift from exclusive reliance on rain-fed wheat production five years ago to the current use of irrigation, and called on Mexico to enhance support for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

To accelerate mechanization in the sector, the Minister encouraged Mexican private investors to engage in Ethiopia’s agriculture through both investment and technology transfer.

Citing the presence of 7.5 million hectares of acidic soil and 11 million hectares of saline soil, Girma underlined the need for close partnership in soil rehabilitation efforts.

Ambassador Alejandro Estivill commended Ethiopia’s drive toward food self-sufficiency and affirmed Mexico’s readiness to share its experience in agricultural modernization and technology transfer.

He also expressed interest in visiting Bonga University and its surrounding areas to observe best agricultural practices in the country.

The two countries are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the near future to formalize cooperation on joint agricultural initiatives, according to the Ethiopian Agriculture Ministry.