Addis Ababa: The Oromia Regional Agriculture Bureau announced that 9.8 million hectares of land were covered with crops during this Meher, the main cropping season in Ethiopia. According to Head of the Regional Agriculture Bureau, Getu Gemechu, successful efforts have been made over the past five years to transition from traditional to modern farming practices. He explained that the previous practice of plowing the land once a year has been replaced by plowing twice a year. In the 2016/17 Ethiopian fiscal year, the plan was to cultivate 10.8 million hectares of land during the main cropping season, and so far, 9.8 million hectares have been covered with various crop types, he said. Of the land covered with crops, 7.8 million hectares are being cultivated through cluster farming system, he noted. He highlighted that improved seeds, organic and synthetic fertilizers have been made available to the farmers, and a plan is in place to harvest 337 million quintals of production in the current fiscal year. The official stated that the region has deployed numerous tractors to facilitate mechanized farming, with a particular focus on crop cultivation in cluster farming techniques. He explained that the transition to modern agricultural practices, including the shift from a once-a-year to twice-a-year cropping system, has significantly benefited the farmers by enabling them to increase productivity on the same farmland through cluster farming. The continuous support and close monitoring provided by agricultural experts at all levels have also played a constructive role in enhancing crop productivity, he affirmed. Regarding the efforts to boost rice productivity in the western parts of the Oromia Region, he disclosed that 1.5 million hectares of land have been covered with rice cultivation, a successful intervention. Source: Ethiopian News Agency