Zambia's Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Elias Mubanga, said he was impressed with Ethiopia's wheat and avocado production and encouraged African nations to come and learn about the country's activities initiated in the agricultural sector.
The assessment was made as Mubanga and other ministers from among the 14 delegations from Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, Tanzania and Zambia paid a visit to Ethiopia's Oromia region so that Addis Ababa could share its experience in agricultural development.
The minister also emphasized that young people, particularly university graduates, had been brought together by cooperatives and companies to become engaged in the production of avocado and wheat.
"These have really impressed me, and how they started creating jobs through this agricultural sector, particularly avocado production. I want to see if I can take it with me and duplicate it with the youth, especially the youth that just finished university," stressed the official.
According to the minister, most young people in Africa and around the world want to get a job after they graduate, and Ethiopia is providing its youth with such an opportunity.
"I think these initiatives [wheat and avocado production] are beautiful. If all African countries would have these initiatives, there would have no shortage of food in Africa. Africa should be a basket for food and then we will be able to export to Europe and other countries," he stressed.
Agriculture is a crucial field for Ethiopia, one of the major wheat-producing nations on the African continent. Studies show that Ethiopia's agricultural sector accounts for 34.1% of the country's GDP, 79% of its export earnings, 79% of the labor force and 70% of the raw materials used for manufacturing.