ADDIS ABABA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia earned more than 128 million U.S. dollars from livestock exports during the first nine months of the 2024/2025 fiscal year, which began on July 8, the country's Ministry of Agriculture has announced.

The East African country's recent efforts to boost livestock exports are yielding "notable improvements," Minister of Agriculture Girma Amente was quoted by state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate as saying.

Highlighting the livestock sector's "strong potential" as a major source of foreign exchange, the report released Thursday said various efforts are currently underway to enhance the productivity and quality of Ethiopia's rich livestock resources.

Ethiopia boasts the largest livestock population in Africa, with an estimated 70.3 million cattle, 95.4 million sheep and goats, and 8.1 million camels, according to recent data from the World Bank.

In recent years, Ethiopia has been working to address major constraints in the livestock sector and enhance its contribution to the national economy. Last year, the Chinese-built Ethiopia-Djibouti railway began transporting export-bound livestock from central Ethiopia to ports in Djibouti, aiming to minimize transport-related stress on the animals.

The Ethiopian government has projected 8.4 percent economic growth for the current fiscal year, amid positive prospects in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and other major economic sectors.

Earlier this week, the country's Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration reported a record 5.3 billion U.S. dollars in export revenue during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, driven by strong performance in major export commodities. ■