Addis Ababa, October 13, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia and Russia are exploring broader agribusiness cooperation to accelerate agricultural technology transfer, increase productivity, strengthen food security, and expand investment and local manufacturing, stakeholders said at a roundtable discussion in Addis Ababa.
Russian Trade Representative to Ethiopia Yaroslav Tarasyuk said Ethiopia had emerged as one of Russia’s top 10 trading partners in Africa, with bilateral trade gaining momentum through 2025.
He noted that Russian exports to Ethiopia had increased fourfold, while Ethiopian exports to Russia had doubled during the period.
Ethiopia exported 18,000 tonnes of green coffee worth 123 million US dollars to Russia, alongside flowers, fruits, vegetables, avocados, herbs, and other agricultural products. Russia, in turn, supplies Ethiopia with key commodities, including mineral fertilizers and sunflower oil.
Tarasyuk emphasized the need to move beyond conventional trade towards joint investment, technology transfer, and local production of agricultural machinery and inputs.
He said Russia was ready to share advanced agricultural technologies and support Ethiopia in developing its manufacturing capacity.
He identified sunflower cultivation, poultry production, and dairy development as promising areas for cooperation, noting that expanding domestic sunflower production could help Ethiopia reduce its dependence on imported edible oils.
Weyssa Garedew, Crop Commercialization Program Director at the Agricultural Transformation Institute, underscored agriculture’s central role in Ethiopia’s economy, noting that the sector contributes approximately 30 to 40 percent of gross domestic product, supports the livelihoods of around 79 million people, and accounts for about 80 percent of exports.
However, he said population growth, climate change, and limited access to agricultural inputs continued to constrain productivity. Reliable fertilizer supplies, mechanization, agrochemicals, and modern technologies are essential to transforming the sector, he stressed.
Garedew added that closer cooperation with Russia could facilitate technology transfer, strengthen local capabilities, and introduce solutions adapted to Ethiopia’s agricultural conditions.
He also noted that plans were underway to establish approximately 50 agribusiness companies to accelerate commercialization, expand agro-processing, and improve farmers’ access to markets.
Habtamu Million, Country Head of Promising International Trading Company, highlighted the importance of expanding domestic agricultural processing to strengthen food security, create jobs, and facilitate technology transfer.
He said Russia’s experience in grain production, storage, transportation, and processing could help strengthen Ethiopia’s food-processing industry.
His company is exploring opportunities in grain milling and edible-oil extraction to increase domestic supply and generate greater economic value. Habtamu also emphasized the need to modernize processing facilities and improve product quality and packaging to make Ethiopian agricultural exports more competitive in international markets.
Dareskedar Taye, President of the Union of African Diasporas in Russia and Head of the Ethiopian Community Association, highlighted the role of the diaspora in connecting Ethiopian and Russian businesses.
He said Africans living in Russia could draw on their knowledge of both markets to promote investment, technology transfer, and commercial partnerships. However, he stressed that improving investment conditions, streamlining administrative procedures, and strengthening institutional links would be important to realizing this potential.
Tsedeke Abate, former Director General of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, called for greater emphasis on productivity, diversification, value addition, and research to meet the food needs of Ethiopia’s rapidly growing population.
He cautioned that Ethiopia’s population was projected to reach 205 million to 210 million by 2050, requiring a substantial increase in food production.
Tsedeke noted that Ethiopia spent approximately 2.6 billion US dollars on food imports in 2023 alone, including 684 million dollars on cooking oil. Expanding domestic production and processing, he argued, would help reduce import dependence while increasing the value of agricultural exports.
He also emphasized that international partnerships should be based on mutual equality, with Ethiopia and other African countries taking the lead in setting their own agricultural priorities.
Stronger cooperation with Russia, he added, could improve fertilizer supplies, advance agricultural research, and strengthen training institutions.
The discussions highlighted opportunities for Ethiopia and Russia to deepen their agribusiness partnership through technology transfer, agricultural research, local manufacturing, and value addition, ENA reported.
Such cooperation could help raise productivity, expand domestic processing, reduce reliance on food imports, and create new opportunities for investment and trade.