Ethiopia is deepening cooperation with Italy to expand access to modern agricultural machinery in a move officials say could help improve productivity and support the country’s drive toward food self-sufficiency.
The Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association, together with the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Trade Agency, has launched a partnership aimed at linking Ethiopian importers with leading Italian manufacturers ahead of EIMA International 2026, a major agricultural machinery exhibition set for November in Bologna.
At a press conference in Addis Ababa, officials said the initiative is intended to help close Ethiopia’s mechanization gap, which continues to limit output in a sector that remains central to the economy. Agriculture accounts for more than one-third of GDP and more than half of export earnings, but much of the work is still carried out with traditional methods.
Kenenisa Lemi, secretary general of the chamber, said agricultural modernization is a key priority under Ethiopia’s homegrown economic reform agenda. He said reaching food self-sufficiency will require greater private-sector investment in high-efficiency technology for farms.
Ethiopia has about 60 million hectares of arable land, but low mechanization continues to hold back production. Officials say improved access to tractors, harvesting equipment, irrigation systems and precision farming tools could help farmers raise yields and cope better with climate-related pressures.
EIMA International 2026 will be organized by FederUnacoma, the Italian federation of agricultural machinery manufacturers, under the theme “Design Agriculture Future.” The event is expected to feature more than 1,800 exhibitors across 375,000 square meters of exhibition space.
Fabio Ricci, deputy director general of FederUnacoma, said the exhibition will showcase technologies that can help farmers manage climate change, soil degradation and high input costs through better resource use and higher efficiency.
