A newly launched Ethiopian Livestock and Fisheries Investment Handbook, has outlined expansive opportunities in Ethiopia’s underdeveloped yet high‑potential livestock and fishery sectors.
The handbook, crafted by the Ministry of Agriculture with support from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), aims to draw private investment and accelerate sector transformation.
Ethiopia hosts Africa’s largest cattle population—over 70 million—alongside 52.5 million goats, 42.9 million sheep, and 8.1 million camels. The country’s 10‑year Agricultural Transformation Plan sets bold production targets: 28.4 billion litres of milk, 1.7 million tonnes of meat, 5.5 billion eggs, and 260,000 tonnes of fish.
Achieving these objectives demands strategic investments in production, processing, and market infrastructure—domains where the private sector is vital.
Despite solid foundations, Ethiopia’s livestock and fishery industries face numerous constraints. Infrastructure gaps—particularly in cold chains and processing facilities—hamper value addition. The predominance of smallholders, weak policy enforcement, insufficient technology multiplication centers, and deficient quality control also limit productivity.
Moreover, limited financial access and scarce entrepreneurial skills among producers hinder commercial growth.
State Minister for Agriculture Sofia Kassa emphasized the opportunity and challenges in harnessing these sectors. “Ethiopia is one of Africa’s leading countries in livestock population and aquatic resources… Demand is growing both at home and globally,” she stated, while recognizing persistent bottlenecks such as low productivity and fragmented value chains.
The handbook provides a comprehensive roadmap: it outlines viable investment areas, business models, enabling policies, institutional support structures, and quality standards tailored to Ethiopia’s agro‑ecological diversity. The document aims to attract both local and foreign investors by offering transparency and clarity.
Key national reforms already support this agenda. Investment incentives include a clear legal framework under Proclamation No. 1180/2020, a movable collateral registry, one‑stop investment facilitation, loan access from the Development Bank of Ethiopia, and regional-level land allocation. Investors receive income tax holidays, duty‑free import of capital goods and inputs for export, credit support, competitive land lease rates, and customs exemptions.
A primary focus is livestock feed and hay production. Ethiopia faces a major feed-deficit, especially in roughage and agro‑industrial by‑products. The handbook recommends investment in commercial forage production, silage and hay manufacturing, and feed processing using high-yielding varieties. Incentives include land allocation via outgrower schemes and technical support, including irrigation, seed distribution, and mechanised feed systems.
At the launch event, Minister Kassa referred to the handbook as “one of the steps the government is taking to bridge gaps and accelerate private sector participation”. Namukolo Covic, ILRI’s Director‑General Representative to Ethiopia, added a visionary dimension: “Research must continue to develop new production approaches that improve efficiencies. Let this handbook be a living document… updated regularly as you generate innovations, technologies & production practices”.
The handbook targets a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including private investors, policymakers, government agencies, development partners, and support institutions. It serves as both an investment guide and a tool for forging partnerships and designing sustainable businesses across Ethiopia’s livestock and fisheries value chains.
This handbook marks an important milestone in Ethiopia’s ambition to transform its livestock and fishery sectors into drivers of economic growth, food security, and employment—backed by enabling policies, practical guidelines, and public–private collaboration.
