09 March 2026, Ethiopia: Stem rust Ug99, a fungal disease that attacks wheat, poses a serious threat to global food security. Efforts to enhance irrigated wheat production in Ethiopia began in the early 1970s, leading to the development and release of improved wheat varieties and production technologies. During the same decade, the emergence and detection of stem rust race Ug99 in Ethiopia, a pathogen threatening wheat production not only in East Africa, but across the Middle East and Asia as well, triggered interest in rapid seed production and irrigated wheat production. Irrigated wheat production expanded from fewer than 5,000 hectares in 2019 to 21,000 hectares in 2020. ICARDA continues to champion wheat production in Ethiopia through successive projects like SARD-SC, TAATI, and now TAATII.

Source: Ethiopian News March 09, 2026 05:18 UTC