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GV Africa Hall in Addis Ababa.
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GV Delegates seated at conference table.
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SV Ethiopia, Egypt, Congo, Cameroon, Burundi, Algeria delegates and Executive Secretary.
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SV Togo, Uganda, Tanzania delegates.
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SV & CU Mr. Ato Mulugeta Taye speaking (2 shots).
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SVS Burundi, Ethiopia and Nigeria delegates seated (3 shots).
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SVS Mr. Taye continues speaking as delegates listen (5 shots).
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Initials MV/1650



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Top agricultural scientists arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday (12 November) for the sixth annual seminar of the Institute of Agricultural Research.

This year's conference, opened by Planning Commissioner, Ato Mulugeta Taye, had special significance. In August, the Ethiopian Government introduced Agrarian Land Reform, making all land government property, and causing varying effects on the 24 million of the country's 27 million people who work on the land.

Mr. Mulugeta Taye welcomed delegates from throughout Africa who spoke on developments in farming techniques, and progress being made to fight the widespread drought which has caused famine in Ethiopia and other African countries.

The United Nations Development Programme's representative, Mr. John Phillips, urged all agricultural scientists to listen to the problems of his colleagues and to familiarise themselves with the farmer's traditional farming system. He said scientists must not shut themselves in laboratories and isolate themselves from the problems.

A recent survey published by the Ethiopian Agriculture Ministry revealed that the percentage of Ethiopia's population working on the land is the second highest in Africa after Nigeria. A third of that population is under 10 years of age, and only about 10 per cent of the peasants are literate.

Farming is of a subsistence nature. A feudal land tenure system has for centuries kept millions of Ethiopians as virtual serfs of absentee landlords.

Under the new land reform laws, no person or co-operative is permitted to earn rent on land or houses.