To ask Her Majesty's Government what work they are undertaking to assist Ethiopia in modernising its agricultural sector and market its produce; how this work is structured; what are the costs; and over what timespan it is being delivered.

This year the Department for International Development (DfID) will provide around £25 million to assist Ethiopia in modernising its agriculture sector and market its produce. Our assistance includes: programmes that support the Government's agricultural extension system that provide skills and knowledge to farmers; programmes to increase access to microfinance; support to local government for rural roads that connect farmers to markets; and funding for the International Food Policy Research Institute to provide agriculture policy analysis. Each of the programmes will run until 2015.

As part of DfID's operational plan for Ethiopia, DfID will design new programmes in the areas of private sector development, climate change and support for the peripheral regions of Ethiopia that will further help to modernise the agriculture sector.