Addis Ababa: Farmers engaged in tea cultivation in Ethiopia have expressed satisfaction as they have been productive and obtaining benefits to improve their livelihoods. Tea farms development program that was initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed three years back is already showing productive progress. The current fiscal year has seen the establishment of expansive tea plantations spanning 30,000 hectares, a significant leap from the previous concentration of tea production in just 5,000 hectares across Wushwush and Gumero. Ethiopia has favorable agro-ecological system, soil type and climatic conditions for the production of tea and expects to become the top producer of tea and rice over the next two years. It is reported that tea producing farmers are contributing their part in the fulfillment of the national target on tea production. Planting 29 million tea seedlings is going on at Ilubbor Zone which is endowed with favorable climatic condition for tea production. Many farmers in the zone are now eng aged in tea farming resulting in the improvement of their livelihood. Talking to ENA, Kebede Tereda, one of the owners of a tea farm said that he was drawn to engaging in tea farming through the facilitation given to him by Gumero Tea Plantation Company. Kebede added that he delivers his harvest to the Company and expects to expand his current 3 hectares of tea farm. He noted that he harvests tea twice a year and sells it to the company and further added that once tea is planted on farms, it is possible to harvest tea for 60 years with no replenishing. Kebede further said he harvests from 2,000 to 2,500 kilos of tea from 2 rounds of harvest each year securing more financial benefits. He noted that if farmers engage in producing tea on their farms, they can get more income to improve their livelihood. Stating that tea farms are now flourishing in the areas Kebede stressed the need to utilize the human power in the area and land to produce more tea.ale Brehanu, another tea farmer said that he earns much m ore income by harvesting tea on his 8 hectares of land and requested the government to establish a tea processing factory in his area. Ibrahim Sultan, team leader for coffee and tea at Illubabor Zone Agriculture Office said that efforts are being made to further expand tea farms in the zone. The team leader revealed this year's plan to plant 206 million tea seedlings and so far more than 29 million seedlings have been planted in the zone. In the fiscal year that has just ended, 950 tons of well processed tea has been exported earning the country some 2.1 million USD. To date, foreign exchange earnings from export of tea is still less than 3 million USD, it was learned. Hence, the government is also encouraging investor to engage in the development of tea to adequately tape the potential recognizing that smallholder farmers alone cannot drive the necessary expansion. Source: Ethiopian News Agency