January 10, 2014
Agriculture has been the cornerstone of the Eritrean economy in the past and is still the main source of income and food for more than 60 percent of the population. Eritrea has substantial and varied natural resources that can be developed to sustain socio-economic development. Generally, Eritrea possesses modest land and water resources.
An estimated 2.1 million ha (17% of the total land area) is arable land suitable for crop and horticultural production. Of this, only 0.6 million hectare is suitable for irrigation, while 0.5% of the total land area is forest.