Ethiopia and Japan on Tuesday signed a grant agreement amounting to 3.85 million U.S. dollars to be used for the purchase and transportation of fertilizer aimed at increasing food production in the country.

The agreement was signed by Ethiopia's State Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mekonnen Manyazewal and Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia Kenjiro Izumi.

At a signing ceremony, Mekonnen said the assistance would have a significant contribution in the efforts to ensure food security in the country.

He said the assistance would also have its share to meet the country's five-year strategic plan, which is aimed at economic development and poverty reduction.

For his part, Japanese Ambassador Izumi said addressing the need for better access to agricultural inputs, such as fertilizer, undoubtedly, would lead to better agricultural performances and yields.

The ambassador said the main objective of the grant aid for this year is to focus on reaching the underprivileged farmers, and eventually to the stabilization and development of the Ethiopian economy.

Izumi also said more than 13,000 tons of wheat, meant for drought-affected people in Ethiopia, would be handed over to the Ethiopian government in the coming couple of weeks.

The food aid would simultaneously help to meet the demands of needy people, suffering from food shortage, the ambassador said.

Ethiopia is one of the world's poorest countries and its development efforts have to rely on massive foreign aid.

Source: Xinhua