Talk:Economy of Ethiopia/Archive 1

Archive 1

Ethiopian agriculture

The article says that agriculture is troubled by high population density. Can somebody qualify this. Doesn't Ethiopia have lower levels of population density than many nations in Western Europe? And even if it is higher how is this a problem for agriculture? Terjepetersen 12:39, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

The population density may be lower than in Western Europe, but the vast majority of Ethiopians live in the countryside. If you take a peak at Mi'irabawi Zone -- it's just the first of many articles I am working on to cover all of the Zones of Ethiopia -- you'll see that the average size of land each farmer tills is about 1 hectare for that Zone, 1.01 for Ethiopia as a whole, & 0.51 for Tigray. (These figures are taken from a World Bank study: one may disagree with their economic planning, but their analyses are very credible.) Note that this is the average: it factors in the extensive landholdings that the aristocracy & other large landowners have, so for many Ethiopian famers, they have to raise a family on far less.

Further, for most Ethiopians, what they grow is what they live on: there are few jobs available that pay in cash or kind. This massive underemployment is a strain on both Ethiopian economy & society, & is one of the causes for unrest following the recent general elections -- well, that & a wide-spread perception that the ruling party stole the elections. -- llywrch 19:44, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the reply. Isn't the issue then more about structural issues such as the size of land parcels and the subsistence nature of agriculture (which may in turn be driven by other factors that impede a more business oriented structure)? How can we flesh out the article to reflect this nuance? Terjepetersen 01:17, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Outdated

The information in the article is outdated and someone should take time to update it. I don't know how to do it myself. 81.227.168.38 (talk) 18:34, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

Telecommunications

The article currently reads, "Telecommunications remain a state monopoly, stifling the development of mobile phones that have become ubiquitous elsewhere in Africa." The first part of this sentence is true, but based on my own observations, mobile phone service could hardly be described as "stifled." But the statement is unattributed in any case. See also: Talk:Telecommunications in Ethiopia. -- Gyrofrog (talk) 14:30, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

Virtually No Private Sector?

I have difficulty buying this point. However small, there is a growing prviate sector in Ethiopia. Someone with the right figures should edit this remark.

The whole article is surely written by someone with a slanted perspective on the issue, perhaps by one who despises the current government. It would much be appreciated if someone could re-write it more objectively. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.125.57.178 (talk • contribs) 12:37, 10 June 2010

I'm sorry you feel that way, but if you look at that section, it is based on an article published in The Economist, which is a respected source on economic subjects. And it is not an unreasonable conclusion, considering that the largest companies in Ethiopia -- Ethiopian Airlines, & the Djibouti-Addis Ababa Railway -- are both government owned, as are many of the utilities. (And then there are the several companies of EFFORT, which is controlled by the TPLF, the leading member party of the EPRDF. The government & the EPRDF have become so intertwined that one can be considered to be identical to the other.) So what is the largest, independent private business in Ethiopia? How many people does it employ & how much income does it make a year? -- llywrch (talk) 18:43, 10 June 2010 (UTC)