Ethiopia is seeking to transform sorghum from a largely traditional food crop into a commercially driven agricultural value chain capable of attracting investment, creating jobs, supporting agro-processing and expanding the country’s regional export opportunities.
The strategy was highlighted at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) 2026 in Kigali, where Ethiopian policymakers, investors, development partners and private-sector representatives examined opportunities to develop sorghum production, processing and trade under the National Sorghum Flagship Programme.
AGRA Ethiopia Country Director Dr. Yihenew Zewdie said investment would be critical to turning the crop into a commercially viable and self-sustaining sector.
He said the objective was to connect Ethiopia’s agricultural potential with capital, enterprise, technology and markets, while creating greater value along the sorghum chain.
The investment proposition covers the sector from seed systems and production to aggregation, storage, post-harvest management, processing and market development.
Opportunities have also been identified in livestock feed, food and beverage manufacturing and other forms of value addition.
Senior Adviser to Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture Dr. Getachew Diriba outlined measures intended to make the country more attractive to investors.
These include favourable seed laws, the contract farming proclamation, tax incentives, agro-industrial parks and expanded electricity infrastructure.
Ethiopia is also seeking to leverage its membership in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to open wider markets for sorghum-based products and potentially increase export earnings.
Dr. Maru Shete, technical lead of the National Sorghum Flagship Programme Development Task Force, identified investment opportunities in seed businesses, production, aggregation and storage, post-harvest management, livestock feed and food processing.
The emphasis on processing is aimed at ensuring that more of the economic value generated by sorghum remains within Ethiopia rather than leaving the country in the form of unprocessed grain.
Expanding domestic processing could also reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen food supplies and generate employment across rural and urban parts of the economy.
Sorghum’s resilience to difficult growing conditions is another factor behind the renewed focus. The crop is well suited to many dryland farming areas and can contribute to more diversified and climate-resilient food systems while providing opportunities for farmers, livestock producers, processors and agro-industrial businesses.
The push is also expected to have implications for smallholder farmers, women and young people by expanding commercial opportunities beyond primary production.
Ethiopia’s agriculture authorities say the development of a stronger sorghum value chain could raise productivity and value addition while improving livelihoods.
Closing the Kigali session, Ethiopian Ambassador to Rwanda Mesfin Gebremariam called for stronger private-sector partnerships to convert the crop’s potential into investment, value addition, trade and employment.
He reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to creating a predictable and conducive environment for investors.
“The opportunity is before us. The ambition is clear. The partnership is possible,” Gebremariam said, according to the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture.
The discussions come as preparations advance towards the Pan-Africa Sorghum Alliance, signalling efforts to build stronger continental cooperation around the crop.
For Ethiopia, the ambition is therefore to move sorghum beyond its traditional role as a staple and make it a platform for agro-industrialisation, regional trade, job creation and economic growth.
For the wider African food system, proponents see the crop as an opportunity to combine food and nutrition security with resilient farming, value-chain development and inclusive economic growth.
