Africa: African Union Commissioner Vilakati hails Ethiopia’s achievement in wheat, pushes digital agriculture to shape Africa’s future

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The African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Musa Vilakati, has lauded the agricultural progress achieved by Ethiopia, describing its emergence as a wheat exporting country as a major milestone for the continent.

Reflecting on Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation, Vilakati noted the country’s remarkable journey in strengthening food production systems.

“We have realized where Ethiopia started and where they are now – to the point that they are now exporting wheat. This is a milestone, and we are very grateful,” he said.

He praised Ethiopia’s broader development agenda, particularly its focus on agricultural modernization and digital transformation, which he said demonstrates what is possible when innovation, policy alignment and political will converge.

Vilakati stressed that the progress made by Ethiopia provides a practical example for other African countries seeking to reduce dependence on food imports.

According to Villakati, digital transformation is reshaping African agriculture by improving farmers’ access to timely information, enhancing resilience to climate change, and enabling smarter data-driven decisions.

A key element of this effort is the African Union Digital Agriculture Strategy 2024-2030, which provides a continental framework for scaling up digital tools across agricultural value chains.

He stressed that technology-based solutions – including digital advisory services, climate information systems, and digital markets – are key to boosting productivity, enhancing food and nutrition security, and creating economic opportunities, especially for young people.

Following the successful conclusion of the inaugural African Union Digital Agriculture Conference, the African Union Commission reaffirmed its commitment to institutionalizing digital innovation within the agricultural sector in Africa.

As the continent prepares for the next review cycle in 2027, Vilakati called for the strategy to be translated into action, urging member states to follow examples such as Ethiopia in leveraging digital transformation to achieve food self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on imports.

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