Page 1 - Print Version Volume 22 - Number 1132
P. 1
Fortune Wishes you a Merry Christmas!
Volume 22 No. 1132, SUNDAY, January 9, 2022 Content Matters
Federal T e n ( 1 0 ) b i r r o n ly
Authority
to Oversee CALL FOR PEACE, HEALING, SOLIDARITY!
Agrochemical,
Seed Markets The week approaching Photo by: Sawrawork Tafari
Ghenna (Christmas),
There are 133 licensed celebrated last Friday exhibition bazaar taking place behind international media coverage. It
agrochemical importers in Ethiopia, saw the gates. It hosted 500 vendors and planned a “million march” on Sunday
organisers at Mesqel offered camel and horse riding with and looked to wrap up celebrations
in the country Square continuing to music performances to boot. Many with Timket (Epiphany) and the "Great
innovate on aesthetics of the participants hung out in the Ethiopian Run" on January 23. Officials
By TSION HAILEMICHAEL and entertainment. courtyard after doing their shopping. have been sharing their wishes that
The celebrations there The more anticipated celebration will the holiday season, which nearly
FORTUNE STAFF WRITER were unique from be far from Addis Abeba, in Lalibela, corresponds with the beginning of
events hosted in past Amhara Regional State, where Ghenna 2022, marks the dawn of a better year.
A federal regulatory agency with holidays. The authorities is celebrated warmly. It is one of the “Years come and go but the last one
authority to issue permits for attempted to make every main events on the "Great Ethiopian has been a particularly harrowing
importers and distributors of penny of the 2.5 billion Homecoming" schedule, organised by experience,” recalled President Sahle-
agricultural inputs is in the making. Br spent revitalising the government in response to what Work Zewde. “Let’s make 2022 a year
the most popular public it perceived as unfair and negative of peace, healing and solidarity.”
Last week, a draft regulation square in the capital
for establishing the Ethiopian count. Part of the square
Agriculture Authority (EAA) was surrounded by the
sent to the Ministry of Planning & concentric semicircle
Development. Part of the Authority's stairs was adorned with
mandate will involve overseeing the Christmas decorations,
provision of fertiliser and seeds. hosting food vendors and
These inputs have mainly been out customers. The red and
of the private sector's reach as the green lighting glistened
supply chain remains in the hands best in the nighttime. A
of the state and public enterprises. handful of eateries had
However, private businesses' role set up shop using food
in importing and distributing trucks and mascots ran
agrochemicals, such as pesticides, around playing with kids.
is relatively robust. Several participants were
busy snapping selfies.
Since the state subsidy and monopoly The jamboree is
over pesticide distribution ended in occurring jointly with an
1995, the private sector has been
getting its piece of the pie. There
were 24 agrochemical importers
a decade ago, compared to 133
this year.
Issuing certificates of competence
and registration of importers and
distributors of agrochemicals
has thus far been delegated to
the Agricultural Inputs Marketing
Directorate at the Ministry of
Agriculture.
The Ministry is among the federal
agencies that are going through a
restructuring after the formation
of the current administration in
September 2021.
(Continued on PAGE 11)
Deposits (2019/20) Dashen (53.5b Br) BoA (47.6b Br) NIB (33.7b Br) Hibret (34.7b Br) Awash (74.3b Br) LIB (26.1b Br) BIB (13.9b Br)
