At present, about 12.4 million people are food insecure in Ethiopia. Moreover, the pastoralist and marginal agricultural areas of eastern and south-eastern Ethiopia are extremely food insecure because of conflict, successive years of below average rainfall, and low agricultural production from the 2008 meher harvest (FEWS NET 2009). The hunger situation in the country is “Extremely Alarming” and has a significantly high value of 30.97 on the 2008 Global Hunger Index, which comprises of three measures of hunger – population undernourishment, child malnutrition, and child mortality.

Agricultural Production
Agricultural Production2006200720082009
Rice Production
FAO 2008
12,000 MT11,244 MT24,434 MT MT
Wheat Production
FAO 2008
2,779,058 MT2,219,095 MT2,463,064 MT MT
Maize Production
FAO 2008
4,029,630 MT3,336,795 MT3,776,440 MT3,932,522 MT
Soybean Production
FAO 2010
5,812 MT5,844 MT8,400 MT7,899 MT
Agricultural Exports
Agricultural Exports2005200620072008
Rice Exports
FAO 2008
MT MT MT MT
Wheat Exports
FAO 2008
195.00 MT MT1.00 MT35.00 MT
Maize Exports
FAO 2008
2,606 MT672.00 MT17.00 MT MT
Soybean Exports
FAO 2008
2,513 MT1,570 MT1,196 MT2,121 MT
Agricultural Imports
Agricultural Imports2005200620072008
Rice Imports
FAO 2008
17,412 MT29,999 MT44,414 MT22,503 MT
Wheat Imports
FAO 2008
862,146 MT526,206 MT600,238 MT1,100,050 MT
Maize Imports
FAO 2008
30,436 MT60,271 MT31,912 MT36,050 MT
Soybean Imports
FAO 2008
2,953 MT7,523 MT118.00 MT574.00 MT