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Dialogue

on Ethiopian agricultural development

United Nations Conference Centre Addia Ababa, Ethiopia, 12 November 2009

Dialogue on Ethiopian agricultural development United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 12 November 2009



ILRI INTERNATIONAL

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia



International Livestock Research Institute PO Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

LIVESTOCK RESEARCH

INSTITUTE

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Eden Square, Block 1, 5th floor PO Box 66773, Westlands 800, Nairobi, Kenya



International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO) Liaison House, 2nd and 3rd Floors, State House Avenue PO Box 62084, 00200, Nairobi, Kenya

ILRI works with partners worldwide to help poor people keep their farm animals alive and productive, increase and sustain their livestock and farm productivity, and find profitable markets for their animal products. ILRI’s headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya; we have a second principal campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and 14 offices in other regions of Africa and Asia. ILRI is part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (www.cgiar.org), which works to reduce hunger, poverty and environmental degradation in developing countries by generating and sharing relevant agricultural knowledge, technologies and policies.

© 2011 International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) This publication is copyrighted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). It is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoncommercialShare Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view this license, visit http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/. Unless otherwise noted, you are free to copy, duplicate, or reproduce, and distribute, display, or transmit any part of this publication or portions thereof without permission, and to make translations, adaptations, or other derivative works under the following conditions: ATTRIBUTION. The work must be attributed, but not in any way that suggests endorsement by ILRI or the author(s). NON-COMMERCIAL. This work may not be used for commercial purposes. SHARE ALIKE. If this work is altered, transformed, or built upon, the resulting work must be distributed only under the same or similar license to this one.

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ISBN 92–9146–241–1 Citation: ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute). 2011. Dialogue on Ethiopian agricultural development held at United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12 November 2009. Nairobi, Kenya, ILRI.

International Livestock Research Institute P O Box 30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya Phone + 254 20 422 3000 Email [email protected]

P O Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Phone + 251 11 617 2000 Email [email protected]

www.ilri.org

Table of Contents Foreword

v

Opening speech H.E. Girma Woldegiorgis, President, The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

vi

Enhancing science-based development in Africa: Where does Ethiopia stand?

1



Gebisa Ejeta (Professor), 2009 World Food Prize Laureate

Achievements and challenges in Ethiopian agriculture



Abera Deressa (PhD), State Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development



Presentation

Role of agricultural institutions of higher learning in creating the next generation agricultural leaders in Ethiopia

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34 55

Belay Kassa (Professor), Haramaya University



Presentation

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Role of agricultural research in accelerating agricultural development in Ethiopia

Solomon Assefa (PhD), Director General, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)



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Presentation



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Panel discussion



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Perspectives on food security challenges facing Africa and some initiatives of the African Union to promote agriculture and agricultural development in Africa 104

Mrs Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner, Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission

Perspective on the most important challenges to world and African agriculture and food security in the current and the coming decades

Mr Mafa Chipeta, Sub-Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Perspectives on research–extension–production and linkages with leadership, advocacy and accountability

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106

Yilma Kebede (PhD), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

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Perspectives on the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security in Ethiopia

Carlos Seré (PhD), Director General, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Perspective on the role of agriculture in the Ethiopian economy



111



112



113

Beshir Jama (PhD), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Performance of Ethiopia’s agriculture

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Constance Freeman (PhD), Director, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO)

Role of AGRA in increasing African food production



Demisse Chanyalew (PhD), Private Consultant

IDRC supports research for development

Berhane Gebre-Kidan (PhD), Retired

Ethiopian President bestows his nation’s highest award on Ethiopian sorghum breeder and 2009 World Food Prize Winner, Gebisa Ejeta

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108

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Foreword The dialogue on Ethiopian Agricultural Development was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) to honour Professor Gebisa Ejeta, winner of the 2009 World Food Prize. The dialogue was held on 12 November 2009 at the United Nations Conference Centre. It was opened by H.E. Ato Girma Woldegiorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Professor Gebisa received the prestigious prize on 15 October at Iowa’s state capital, Des Moines, USA. His research with sorghum hybrids resistant to drought and the devastating Striga weed have dramatically increased the production and availability of one of the world’s five principal grains and enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in subSaharan Africa. Professor Gebisa’s high academic standing in his undergraduate years paved the way to financial assistance and entrance into higher education institutions, leading to his bachelor’s degree in plant science in 1973 from the Alemaya College of Agriculture. It was in 1973 that his mentor Dr Berhane Gebre-Kidan introduced Gebisa to a renowned sorghum researcher, Dr John Axtell of Purdue University, who invited him to assist in collecting sorghum species from around Ethiopia. Dr Axtell was so impressed with Gebisa that he invited him to become his graduate student at Purdue University. Gebisa entered Purdue University in 1974, earning his PhD in plant breeding and genetics. He later became a faculty member at Purdue, where today he holds a distinguished professorship. It is Professor Gebisa’s dedication to helping poor farmers feed themselves and their families and rise out of poverty that propelled his life’s work. Professor Gebisa Ejeta spoke on science-based agricultural development with particular emphasis on Ethiopia. H.E. Dr Abera Deressa, State Minister of MoARD; Dr Solomon Assefa, Director General of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research; and Professor Belay Kassa, President of Haramaya University made presentations on the challenges, opportunities and achievements of agricultural research in Ethiopia and the role of agricultural universities. This was followed by a panel discussion in which valuable remarks were made by personalities from different renowned institutions and universities.

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Opening speech H.E. Girma Woldegiorgis President The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Excellency Ministers, Ambassadors, Professor Gebisa Ejeta, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen: It is an honour and privilege and a great pleasure for me to be here with so many agricultural scientists gathered to witness this momentous occasion. It is a source of great satisfaction for us to see our Ethiopian champion, Professor Gebisa Ejeta, who wins Agricultural Nobel Prize for innovation in sorghum research. Such a gathering forms an extraordinary moment and we feel extraordinary joy. One cannot deny that Dr Gebisa’s prize is a commitment to others. We should support this revolution as his work plays a part in the struggle to abolish poverty and misery. Today, we urge that scientists like Dr Gebisa locally and abroad should be able to forge to bring their wealth of experience and meditation to their country. The young generation also should not forget to hold the position of successor and in turn pass the torch to the new generation. Ladies and gentlemen, though much of our history of scientific endeavours by fellow citizens for the last 20 years is approaching our inborn hope of our society, Dr Gebisa’s timely recognition by the global community is a reclaim of our hope. The young generation must follow the footsteps of our scientists and appreciate their determination and endurance. This is what the life and professional chronicles of Professor Gebisa is suggesting to us all. I should like to go a step further and affirm that we have something to be grateful in scientists like him. He has not grown by virtue alone. He has also marched under persistent and goal-oriented acts. Ethiopia has embarked on a major transformation both in political and economic areas. Great progress has been made to ensure the enhancement of legitimacy for democratic governance and support of the rule of law. I have no doubt that a great change would occur and poverty will end soon because of the high level of commitments of the people of our country and as a result of directions the government of Ethiopia is following. Distinguished partners, I wish to acknowledge the prize Professor Gebisa has earned. He shines as the role model of agricultural researchers. We should in turn be able to enlarge our

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concern and interest and extend it throughout our concerns of our country. As of now if we count on our professional quality in agricultural research at a global scale. There will be no list without Professor Gebisa. Ethiopia is proud of you, the world is proud of you, and I salute your greatness in the presence of this great audience. Thank you.

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Enhancing science-based development in Africa: Where does Ethiopia stand?1 Gebisa Ejeta (PhD) 2009 World Food Prize Laureate

Abstract Agricultural research and development have been neglected for too long in Africa. When the Green Revolution was launched in Asia and Latin America in the early 1970s, Africa did not have the institutional and human capacity foundation with which it could engage in that powerful agricultural revolution. Ironically, those were the days in which Africa, with prompting and support of the developed nations, began to establish and mobilize a new crop of agricultural scientists. The young cadre laid down a semblance of an institutional foundation to initiate agricultural technology development and transfer. However, the great success of agricultural sciences in the developed world led to dramatic increases in food production, availability of cheaper and safer foods, but also brought about complacency in their people and leadership. Agricultural science was taken for granted in much of the developed world, and in a strange way, it also led to substantial reduction of support for technical assistance that the developed world provided to poor nations. Coupled with the half-hearted support and lip-service to agriculture by the leadership of African nations, expenditures for human and institutional capacity building in agricultural research and extension services eroded significantly leading to significant loss of momentum in gains made with early efforts. The recent past food price increases of 2007–2008 appears to have reawakened world leaders and representatives of development agencies to contribute to science-based development that made economic growth and political stability, both in poor nations and around the world possible. There was the realization that global food security was not to be taken for granted. A new recognition also emerged about the need for sustained resource support for agricultural research to generate vital technologies and transform agriculture in developing countries, as well as to sustain the advances made in the rich nations. This is an encouraging development, at a time in which food, feed, and energy demands on agriculture have increased dramatically, both in response to the growing world population and because of dietary changes in a growing segment of the world population. What we all do, from here on going forward, would foretell the fate of political stability and economic aspirations of all people in this ever-more interconnected world. Agriculture and agricultural sciences may have become that important. 1. This essay is an abridged version of the Keynote PowerPoint presentation made at the Dialogue on African Agricultural Development, ECA Conference Hall, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12 November 2009.

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The state of African agriculture Sub-Saharan Africa is home to hundreds of millions of poor people, most of whom reside in rural areas. Agriculture is the most vital industry for most Africans as it accounts for over 60% of the workforce. With rapid increases in population and the diminishing sizes of land holdings, farming in Africa has remained mostly a struggle in the livelihood of smallholder farmers. With traditional farming practices that slowly but exhaustively mine the land, the productivity of African farms has continued to decline. Increases in grain production detected in sub-Saharan Africa in the past have come more from expansion of agriculture onto new land than from yield increases. However, as global demand for land increases, there is great need to increase the productivity of cultivated lands through increased farm efficiency, improved genetics, better husbandry of crops and animals, and a greater awareness and stewardship for the growing fragility of our natural resource systems. African farming has not been significantly influenced by advances in the agricultural sciences that have benefited the rest of the world. Contributions from improved genetic stocks of plants and animals have been limited. Currently less than 20% of African farms use modern seed, and even fewer have access to improved stocks of livestock. Use of modern plant and animal husbandry has been very limited. African farmers grow their crops and raise their animals using traditional practices that have been passed through the generations. African farming has been organic with a continental average use of inorganic fertilizers still standing well below 10 kg/ha. Uses of other chemical inputs for control of weed, pest, and diseases in Africa have been nearly insignificant. The strongest limitations are imposed by lack of knowledge of modern farming practices. And when smallholder farmers develop some awareness through organized public interventions, they often lack the financial means to purchase inputs and tools that enhance efficiency and lessen the family burden on their livelihoods. Overall, the vital institutions of agricultural research and extension services in nearly all African countries lack the needed full capacity and institutional infrastructure to reach out to smallholder farmers and to readily generate and dispense badly needed new science-based technology or to effectively deploy those from past findings. Use of irrigation has also been limited. Because the overwhelming majority (>95%) of its cultivated land is rainfed, African agriculture is vulnerable to climatic perturbations. Furthermore, the varying ecologies of the African continent demand careful orchestration of the variety of sciences that deal with crop genetics and crop management as well as careful integration of all of the essential resources of the farm household and the farming community. Existing agricultural problems notwithstanding, African agriculture may suffer more under the looming global challenges of increasing energy and water demands and the most certain shifts in temperature predicted by the emerging climate change models. African farmers have done

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all that they could eking out a living with traditional knowledge and the meager resources and little scientific knowledge available to them. The only way forward is to embrace science-based development as a vehicle for positive change in livelihoods across the continent. Increasing productivity of traditional farm practices through use of improved genetic stocks and modern crop and animal husbandry is a critical first step to helping smallholder rural farmers of Africa better their livelihoods. Changing the productivity increases to profitable economic gain through market channels for improved seeds, fertilizers, farm management and products across the value chain, brings about sustained transformative change.

A pathway for science-based development in Africa Science and technology need to be given a chance in Africa. We need to develop a culture of change where, based on learned experience, African farmers form a mind-set of looking to science, technology, and innovation as sources of solutions to their agricultural problems. There is a need to regroup, take lessons from past efforts, and focus on those programs and approaches that generate the needed impact to offer immediate relief and build new momentum in catalysing science-based development in an accelerated and renewed sense of purpose and energy. As farmers and farm communities and key stakeholders begin to assert themselves and earn some economic power, they may lean on government agencies to develop and pursue supportive national policies and policy incentives. In a recent testimony I gave to the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations regarding food security concerns in Africa, I stated that ‘based on my 30 years of development experience and my knowledge of rural life in Africa, I have come to believe that there are three key essentials needed to bring about sustainable change that could generate needed results for generating sustained impact in the agricultural development of developing nations’. I repeat those three sets of essentials that must be well orchestrated and addressed in concert for national development in Africa. They are: 1) technology; 2) institutional and human capacity; and 3) public policy. 1.

Science and technology: It is essential that science be affirmed as the primary vehicle of change for economic development. The successes of US agriculture, the Asian Green Revolution, and the few nuggets of change in Africa are evidence that sciencebased development offers not only a way out of hunger and poverty, but also leads to prosperity. Life altering changes will continue to require scientific innovations that raise productivity and income. Recent advances made in the biological sciences offer exciting opportunities for addressing some of the most intractable agricultural problems prevalent in the tropics.

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2.

Institutional and human capacity building: For appropriate science-based changes to be generated and delivered, institutional and human capacities must be strengthened. I am seriously concerned that the decline in global resource commitments for capacity building threatens to derail all the gains made to date. The acute need for strengthening institutions and building human capacity in developing countries cannot be overemphasized. Investments in public institutions that build scientific capacity in research, education and technology transfer need greater reinforcement today more than ever. I may add that the weakest institutions in most developing countries are in the private sector. We must encourage private entrepreneurship and institutions that create incentives for commercialization, support markets, finances, risk management, and infrastructure that facilitates commerce. In building both public and private institutional capacity in developing countries, we must support and advance openness in sharing of experiences with the outside world so that newly trained individuals and their institutions receive the necessary mentoring and seasoning as well as develop a ‘can-do’ spirit.

3.

Policy interventions: Supportive policies are critical. Empowering local institutions and local groups is an indispensable ingredient to attain sustainable change. Needed are bold local policies that encourage generation and adoption of new agricultural technologies and support new public and private incentives. Without the needed policy catalyst and sustained resource commitment that should follow, the likelihood of permanent positive change is very small.

Where does Ethiopia stand? Emergence of an agricultural revolution Ethiopia has been at the cusp of a major agricultural revolution for nearly a decade now. With a massive on-farm demonstration program by an expanded public extension service that has been revitalized by the Sasakawa Africa Program, and enhanced further by a significant resource and political support of the GoE, segments of the Ethiopian farm community have now been primed to science. Farmers have begun to purchase improved seeds and/or fertilizers to boost productivity and have realized economic benefits from these investments, particularly when markets favour the farm. Unfortunately, the lack of credit support and insurance, and the volatility of the traditional market place have slowed down the potentially large demandpull for new technology. At the same time, the supply of new technologies from domestic purpose-driven research has also stagnated as a result of misguided and undue emphasis put in importation of technologies from abroad. Agricultural research in Ethiopia has lost significant momentum in the last few years, and sadly at a time when the rural poor have began to acknowledge the value of science as a vehicle of change. This loss of research advance will likely be felt for some time to come. 4

Strong government support to agriculture A significant and positive driver for science-based development in Ethiopia has been the sustained support for agricultural research and education by GoE. Subsequent Ethiopian governments have shown commitments to agriculture and science-based development, although these commitments have not been always balanced and well integrated. Badly needed political support and executive leadership for Ethiopian agriculture has been provided, and particularly in the last decade. Certainly, no other sub-Saharan African country has committed more sustained internal resources to agricultural research than Ethiopia. Although significantly weakened by the loss of seasoned talent to greener pastures over the years, the agricultural research institutional base in Ethiopia is still among the better ones in sub-Saharan Africa. The declining human capital base and the erosion of essential agricultural institutions are of concern, however. The growing pool of seasoned Ethiopian agricultural scientists outside the country, the lack of incentives to retain local talent, and the declining capacity for quality tertiary education in the agricultural sciences at home all point to imminent hurdles to advancing modern agriculture in Ethiopia. It will be a formidable challenge, making it near impossible to realize the dream of the nation’s lofty goals for economic development without a strong and seasoned human and institutional capacity in each of the key drivers of change in agriculture, namely education, research, and the array of support services. As important as agriculture is to the economic development aspirations of Ethiopia, increased attention need be spent to strengthening its human capacity and the institutional infrastructure of major support services in agriculture.

Government can’t do it all There has been an overall reliance and sense of obligation in public service support for bringing about positive change in agricultural development. There is perhaps more need to develop a more broadened perspective of economic development in Ethiopia. A more integrated approach that would combine the native can-do spirit with a measured but more realistic outlook to the value of foreign assistance in badly needed areas. There is an overwhelming belief and reliance on government supported public service to meet the needs across sectors of the greater economy. A large army of young extension agents dispatched in much of the countryside lack the needed support facilities to be mobile, functional, and effective. They are not properly linked or supported by the national research services either. Morale remains poor in the national extension services. It may be wiser to recognize that the government can not do it all, and err on the part of effectiveness than sheer coverage. There is also much to be gained by balancing public service with grassroot community organizations and, as well to unleash the power of the private sector as has been done in the more developed economies. 5

Need to unleash the private sector A more open policy and clear signal to make an earnest commitment to privatization of the agricultural sector across its many dimensions is badly needed. The private sector can infuse the profit motive as an incentive to enhance productivity and generate a demand pool for the public-service investments in technology generation. Combining the need to bring in the private sector to deliver some of the services traditionally delivered by public agencies with giving newly enlightened farm communities some empirical experience of the power and magic of public–private partnership in technology generation and deployment could move the country over the hump. A more open and deliberate encouragement of an expanded role for the private sector in complementing the nation’s huge extensive public service investments along the value chain would develop a badly needed agro-industrial complex that can join the government as a new source of employment. It is vital to have governments that show empathy for the poor, but is also of equal value to trust rural communities to experiment in self-reliance and commercialization that can unleash creativity and resourcefulness that is latent within itself.

Science-based agricultural development can transform Africa Science, technology, and innovation need to be given a chance in Africa. They have been long overdue. Current challenges to African agricultural development are immense, but so can be the opportunities. There are more hopeful signs of progress in science-based agricultural development in Africa today. It is important therefore for those involved in the leadership of African development to face these challenges wisely, and not to flounder these opportunities. African leaderships are more focused on economic development, and all seem to acknowledge the role agriculture plays in bringing about transformative change. To be successful, African leaders need to instill resolve and commitment to science-based development among professionals, fully recognizing that past practices in governance, the lack of significant investments in key essentials such as education and science, and the helplessness that bred through the rank and file of African professionals may have left many in seemingly desperate situations. African governments will have immense responsibility in building confidence and in providing proper incentives and promoting professionalism among educators, researchers, and other service providers. It takes good leadership to instill badly needed national resolve to succeed and to breed out powerlessness among the professionals and hopelessness within the citizenry. When taken seriously, science, technology, and innovation can feed a growing population, build the economy, and safeguard the natural resources in Africa as it has in other lands. With a greater resolve to succeed and an improving leadership in the continent, nations can set a

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more aggressive agenda for science and technology. The central core of such a commitment will have to be the investments in building of human capacity through effective training and mentoring of local talent and to strengthen national institutions. African governments need to embrace the responsibility to build morale among the technocrats, to encourage and retain the talent embedded in the cadre serving the continent, and build the can-do attitude in the citizenry. Only then would a nation be able to lay down the institutional infrastructure, allows the cadre to disburse badly needed science and technology functions, and prime the generation of technologies and programs that can enhance productivity and profitability in the agricultural enterprise. Across the continent of Africa, an acknowledgement of the value of science as a vehicle of change needs to emerge and be enacted with a serious sense of urgency. Nations should dare to deploy currently available technologies for short-term gain while investing in capacity building and institutional development to generate more powerful technologies that are badly needed for greater impact and sustainability going forward. External technical assistance can show the way and can be useful for the short term. However, lasting solutions to new and existing problems can only be found with availability of a seasoned local talent that has the expertise and know-how, and fully understands the local problems. To make the gains sustainable and to expand opportunities, small and medium local enterprises should emerge so as to grow the local agro-industry complex. With improved financial infrastructure, credit mechanisms, and an open and supportive policy and governance, it is possible to encourage the emergence of functional small and medium private enterprises. Africa needs to look beyond those small nuggets of change, and begin to aspire towards that elusive sustainable and transformative change that offers hope and turns dreams to reality. It is not so difficult to produce positive results in most research and development programs with infusion of money and earnest effort. But, bringing about real change that is sustainable over time can only be achieved by encouraging, engaging, and empowering local people, local institutions, and local stakeholders with good governance and committed leadership. It is indeed within Africa’s means and power to bring about such science-based development initiative to build its economy and improve human livelihoods. To make such lasting changes, however, it will require an executive leadership that is absolute and resolute in its commitments to science-based development and in bringing about transformative change in African livelihoods. Science, technology, and innovation can do wonders, but will have little chance without badly needed resource support, political will, and effective governance to build the human and institutional capacity, the can-do spirit among the greater community of people, giving them the freedom to aspire and engage in the service of their nations.

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Achievements and challenges in Ethiopian agriculture Abera Deressa (PhD) State Minister Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Abstract The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has been implementing a reform program aimed at poverty reduction through rapid economic growth and macroeconomic stability. Since the new economic reform initiation, remarkable economic growth has been achieved in Ethiopia. The rapid economic growth was associated with intensive investment in agriculture and rural development that includes agricultural policy and institutional reforms. A number of agricultural technologies and related information were developed. Utilization of these agricultural technologies such as the use of improved seeds with their management practices increased productivity significantly. Crop production increased by a large percent in 2007 of which area expansion and intensification contributed 3.5% and 17.3%, respectively. There was also a significant increment in export volume and diversity during the last six years. The income generated from agricultural export was USD 250 million in 2002 and 2.2 billion in 2007. Average annual growth rates of agricultural GDP ranged from 9.8 to 16.9 percent in the last six years. Such significant changes in the growth of the agriculture sector are related to the sharp increase in the development and utilization of productive agricultural technologies and huge investment in capacity building for key research and development actors in the sector. The private investment in the sector has grown rapidly and contributed to the export volume and diversity. Despite the significant achievements in increasing agricultural productivity, we have been less attentive to some of the unintended stresses that affect climate, agricultural soils and biodiversity. The challenges include agricultural pests (weeds, insects and diseases), resource management (soil acidity, soil salinity, Vertisols and water) and system (credit, value addition, marketing, actor linkages etc.). This paper presents encouraging achievements and current challenges in Ethiopian agriculture.

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Introduction

Ethiopia has a population of 73.9 million (CSA 2007) living in nine regional states and two administrative city councils. The country possesses a landmass of more than 1.1 million km2 8

with wide ranges of agro-ecologies, biodiversity and huge water resources that are suitable for agriculture. Agriculture is the most important economic sector of the country, contributing to 45% of the GDP, 85% of foreign earnings and employing 83% of the population. There are a number of crops being produced throughout the country. The livestock population in this country is also the highest in Africa. The Agricultural Development-Led Industrialization (ADLI) strategy of Ethiopia is a very comprehensive strategy launched by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) that enhanced formulation of various sector-specific policies, strategies and programs. The agriculture sector policies, strategies and programs were formulated and have been implemented during the implementation of Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Program (SDPRP) and Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP). The agricultural and rural development policies and strategies document was prepared with the objectives of building a market economy that benefits Ethiopians, eliminates dependence on food aid, and assures rapid economic growth. The assumption is that agricultural development accelerates trade and industry development by supplying raw materials, creating opportunities for capital accumulation and enhancing domestic market. The GoE created a suitable working environment for the realization of PASDEP targets that are sector-specific. In the agricultural sector, fundamental strategies focused on specialization, diversification and commercialization of agricultural production to realize accelerated agricultural development and agro-industries, which, in the final analysis contribute to the overall economic growth of the country. By implementing these productive policies, strategies and programs designed for accelerated and sustainable development, remarkable achievements were obtained for the last six consecutive years. This paper highlights the resource base, major challenges, policies, major achievements (in human resource development, input utilization, crop production, livestock production, natural resource management, investment and export volume and values) and future directions of the agricultural sector.

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Resource base

Ethiopia has a total land area of 112 million hectares, out of which about 74.3 million hectares (66.6%) is arable land. This year, in 2009, the total cultivated area is about 13 million hectares. Agriculture is practised mainly by 13.2 million smallholder farm households with an average land holding of about a hectare in 2009. The country has a potential irrigable land of about 3.7 million hectares; of which about a million hectares is cultivated using medium- and large-scale irrigation schemes (Figure 1). 9

120

115.5

100 74.3

80 60 40

15.4 20

3.1

1

Irrigable

Irrigated

0 Total

Arable

Cultivated

Figure 1. Land resource and use in million hectares.

Overall resources base, soil, climate, relative humidity and vegetation types are the foundations of agriculture and could be overlaid to give agro-ecological zones. An agro-ecological zone is mostly defined as a major area of land that is broadly homogeneous in terms of its rainfall régime and grouping of soils that reflect similarities. Ethiopia has identified 32 agro-ecological zones with their potentials and constraints related to agricultural production (MoARD 2006). These agro-ecologies are suitable for wide ranges of crops, livestock and microbes. In order to improve agricultural production and thereby improve the livelihood of the population concerned, the potentials and constraints of the diverse agro-ecological zones of the country need to be properly identified and understood. The major agro-ecological zones are mapped with relative symbols reflecting the moisture and temperature conditions of the broad area. Ethiopia is also one of the centres of origin of plant species, and hence, there is a wide crop diversity which can be utilized for various research and development interventions. Such diversity should be properly collected and conserved for immediate or future use. The Institute of Biodiversity Conservation has collected and conserved over 60,000 plant species in-situ or ex-situ. Of these total collections 80,000 plant species have been extensively utilized for various development purposes in the national agricultural research system (NARS).

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Table 1. Major agro-ecological zones and their coverage in ha No 1

Major AEZ Arid

Number of MAEZ 3

Area in hectares 12,202,262.00 22,356,327.00 488,137.00 35,046,726.00

% of the country 10.76 19.71 0.43 30.90

2

Semi-arid

SA1 SA2 SA3 Subtotal

3

444,794.00 3,120,098.00 218,623.00 3,783,515.00

0.39 2.76 0.19 3.34

3

Submoist

SM1 SM2 SM3 SM4 SM5 SM6 Subtotal

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637,273.00 10,894,270.00 5,846,476.00 1,314,117.00 76,812.00 18,018.00 18,786,966.00

0.56 9.60 5.18 1.17 0.08 0.02 16.61

4

Moist

6

5

Subhumid

6

Humid

7

Per-humid

8

Water body

M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 Subtotal SH1 SH2 SH3 SH4 SH5 SH6 Subtotal H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 Subtotal PH1 PH2 PH3 Subtotal WB Grand total

672,102.00 17,147,667.00 9,101,092.00 1,965,932.00 18,823.00 15,243.00 28,980,959.00 1892953 8,046,791.00 7,515,534.00 589,026.00 68,814.00 34,889.00 18,148,007.00 2,592,587.00 3,065,658.00 1,069,061.00 62,616.00 50,576.00 6,840,498.00 13,087.00 765,363.00 152,278.00 930,728.00 868,040.00 113,385,439.00

0.59 15.12 8.03 1.73 0.07 0.01 25.55 1.68 7.09 6.63 0.53 0.06 0.04 16.03 2.29 2.70 0.94 0.06 0.04 6.03 0.01 0.68 0.13 0.82 0.76 100

A1 A2 A3 Subtotal

6

5

3

32

11

Ethiopia has huge water resources that can be used for agricultural and non-agricultural development with little investment. There are 11 year-round big rivers and 10 lakes that can potentially be used for irrigation. However, the area which is cultivated under irrigation as of 2009 is estimated to be just a million hectares. Forest lands cover 4.01 million hectares (3.6%), and the country has 13 National Parks where wild lives are conserved, among which 31 mammals and 16 bird species are endemic. Ethiopia is known for its livestock population. The country stands first in Africa and 10th in the world in terms of livestock population. Based on the CSA (2008) statistics, the country has 49.3 million cattle, 46.9 million small ruminants, 42.1 million poultry and 2.3 million camels. At present, the major livestock that have food security relevance are cattle, small ruminants, poultry, fish and camels. Other animals like equines are important in transporting agricultural produce either for sale or home consumption. The river basins and Rift Valley lakes are rich in fish with a maximum sustainable yield of fish estimated over 30,000 tonnes per year. Therefore investment in fish production along the river banks and lake areas is encouraged in order to attain PASDEP targets. Although the livestock population is large, the overall contribution to food security and income remains less than the potential. The key problems associated with both domestic and export markets are limited breeds, animal diseases and poor management practices of livestock and their products. Lack of market-oriented production, limited market information, inadequate infrastructural and institutional set-ups, prevalence of diseases and illegal trade are generally mentioned as some of the major reasons for the poor performance of this sector. For livestock located in the drought-stressed areas, drought and limited animal feeds and diseases result in poor utilization and thus are affecting food security. Based on the 2007 statistics of the agriculture sector, there are 69,680 development agents rendering extension services at farmers’ training centres (FTC) level. The development agents are in turn getting technical backups from subject-matter specialists based at woreda, zonal and regional capitals. There are 1253 researchers working at research centres of the federal, regional and higher learning institutions to generate or adopt agricultural technologies and improved management practices. The country has 12.8 million hard working farming households who are the main actors in agricultural development to attain PASDEP targets. These farm households have on average a family size of five individuals.

3

Major agricultural challenges

Although the country has abundant resources and good potential for agricultural development, increasing production and productivity that can support the ever increasing population was

12

not possible mainly because of lack of policies, biotic and abiotic agricultural constraints, institutional set-ups, and other key factors that are described below. The major biotic factors in Ethiopia include invasive weeds, termites and animal diseases while the major abiotic constraints include drought, poor soil fertility, soil acidity and natural resource degradations. Traditional method of farming, limited capital, high dependence on rain-fed agriculture (95%), poor marketing system and limited knowledge are also major constraints to the agriculture sector. Land degradation is caused by different factors like rapid population growth that depend on unsustainable subsistence agricultural practices, dependence on wood and other biomass for household energy sources, poor livestock range-land management (free grazing system), and land tenure insecurity, which is related to policy failures of past governments resulting in the growing land degradation problem in Ethiopia. Climatic change is another important development challenge for the overall production– product value chain in the agricultural system. The contribution of developing countries like Ethiopia in the emission of carbon dioxide is very low, while the economic implication is the highest of all. Climatic change, coupled with population growth are affecting the natural resource base and thereby worsening the drought situation in many areas of the country. Drought remains a major cause of asset loss and resource depletion, leading to poverty and hunger. Drought most seriously affects pastoral areas where livelihoods are affected due to loss of livestock and crops that are key assets in this part of the country and the recovery of these assets is very difficult, exposing the pastoralists to poverty and hunger. As a result of drought, pastoralists move from place to place in search of water along the river banks of Omo, Baro, Genale, Wabisheble, and Awash. In addition to abiotic, biotic, knowledge/skill and perishability constraints, there are also policy, strategy and program gaps that can challenge agricultural development. Policy gaps include limited focus to animal health, to animal feeds, to the drought-prone areas and the seed system, that should include institutional mandates and responsibilities. There should also be adequate policy in land administration for pastoral areas as the current land administration policy is mainly designed for non-pastoral highland and sedentary areas. The strategy gaps are absence of strategy on forest resources utilization, artificial insemination (AI) service for small ruminants, breeding program for bee forage, animal feeds and integrated water and pasture resources development. The existing program gaps led to the formulation of new or modified programs like land use planning, forest and forest product utilization,

13

alternative household energy sources, small irrigation schemes, control of invasive weeds and shrubs, and transboundary livestock diseases management. The main elements of PASDEP’s strategy to address these problems include: • • • •

4

strengthening tenure security by expanding the ongoing land certification process; building capacity in community-based approaches to watershed management; scaling up successful models for watershed management; and strengthening natural resource information management, specifically rigorous evaluation, synthesis, and dissemination of best management practices and innovations in sustainable land management.

Agricultural policies, strategies and programs

In Ethiopia, agricultural growth was limited by poor policy, strategies and structural changes that resulted in little increment in production and productivity of the sector. At present, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has developed and implemented agricultural and rural development policies and strategies for rapid economic development where agricultureled and rural-centred development is the key direction. The basic concept is that development in agriculture can accelerate trade and industry development by supplying raw materials, creating opportunities for capital accumulation and enhancing domestic market, indicating that a favourable environment will be created for the accelerated and sustainable development of the non-agricultural sectors. The development of other sectors cannot be sustainable without the development of agriculture, which will create market, capital and labour. PASDEP was developed with the objective of accelerating the transformation of subsistent agriculture to commercial undertakings through overall support within the framework of the National Food Security Program. These objectives can be achieved through development and adoption of high yielding technologies, diversification of high value commodities, promotion of commercial agriculture, establishment of marketing system, development of irrigation and water-harvesting technologies, and sustainable use of natural resources. PASDEP devised the following policies and strategies for the agriculture sector. The current agricultural policies include: basic directions of agricultural development, building human resources, proper land use, preparation of agricultural packages, creating market-led agricultural development, improving the finance system, encouraging private investors, expanding rural infrastructures, and strengthening non-agricultural rural development.

14

4.1

Basic directions of agricultural development

The basic directions of agricultural development deal with the extensive utilization of human labour; proper use and management of land, water and other natural resources; agro-ecologybased development approach; integrated approach to development; targeted interventions for drought-prone and food insecure areas; encouraging the private sector; enhancing the benefits of the working people; and enhanced use of agricultural technical and vocational training. This policy focuses on extensive utilization of human labour strategy and emphasizes accelerated and sustained growth can be brought about in Ethiopia not through capital-intensive but through labour-intensive production methods. This strategy focuses on developing the agricultural skills and work initiatives of farmers. The main reasons for adopting labour-intensive strategy is lack of capital and hence smallholder agriculture can be developed with relatively less capital investment. The other strategy for this basic direction is proper utilization of agricultural land where the uncultivated land mass is expected to contribute to the overall agricultural development, and promotes sustainability of the natural resource use. A foot on the ground strategy takes into account that it is necessary to move forward with the existing human, physical and financial resources to bring accelerated and sustainable development. In other words, the strategies for agricultural development will seek to draw opportunities for growth inherent within the available technology and manpower. Integrated development path strategy recognizes that agricultural development embraces a large number of different products and activities. Therefore, the agricultural development efforts will follow a development path that seeks to promote integrated efforts.

4.2

Building human resources

Elements of PASDEP include capacity building of the various actors and stakeholders in agricultural and rural development. The strategies in capacity building include: improving the capacity of professionals, maintenance of farmers’ health as they are key actors in the generation, promotion, multiplication and utilization of agricultural technologies. Building human resource capacity and its extensive use is one of the most productive strategies that can enhance production and productivity of the agriculture sector. Improving professional capacity of researchers and development workers and ensuring farmers’ health are key actions taken by Ethiopia. Such strategies have helped the country to move towards success.

15

4.3

Proper land use

The basic strategies in land use are implementing the land owner policy, pursuing appropriate land use policy and improving water use.

4.4

Preparation of agricultural packages

The strategies related to the development of packages are combining diversification and specialization, new approach for drought prone areas, enhanced utilization of areas with sufficient rainfall, new approach with pastoral areas and judicious use of uncultivated areas.

4.5

Creating market-led agricultural development

Developing products with high market demand and improving agricultural marketing systems are the two principal strategies under market-led agricultural development policy. The main activities include development of labelling standards, market information, strengthening cooperatives and private investors in marketing. The government is committed to transforming the economy of the country led by a marketdriven agriculture sector which is strongly linked with the industry and becomes a base for an industrial economy formation. Hence, emphasis is given to agricultural commodities that can be marketed by promoting post-harvest technologies, reducing the length of the marketing chain, promoting standards, expanding the production of exportable crops, and promoting out-grower schemes and other forms of contract farming. Commercial agriculture is also considered as an important strategy to transform small-scale farmers through linking the farmers to private sector and trading centres as well as through supply-chain linkages among rural and urban actors. To accelerate market-based agricultural development, the strategy supports the intensification of marketable farm products for domestic and export markets; therefore, the role of private and public sector is high.

4.6

Improving the finance system

In improving the rural finance system, the strategies being implemented are development of banks and rural finance systems, establishment of rural banks and enabling cooperatives to run rural finances. PASDEP strategy for rural finance is strengthening and expanding institutions engaged in rural finance system because these institutions are expected to play a significant role in agricultural development and also for the development of other sectors. The major financial institutions which can contribute significantly to rural and agricultural development are the existing 16

commercial and development banks, rural banks and cooperatives. Linkages between rural banks and cooperatives through cooperative banks are very important for rural and agricultural development in general. Microfinance institutions are one of the major financial institutions which are serving the current agriculture and rural development initiatives of the many agriculture and nonagriculture activities of the rural poor. The effort of the GoE to promote farm input delivery system can be achieved through strengthening and expansion of rural microfinance institutions in addition to service cooperatives and farm input retailers. The existence of efficient and effective agricultural credit institutions has increased farm input utilization. The expansion of microfinance institutions supported the creation of small enterprises in rural areas. The small enterprises resulted from the growing urban and small-town economy. The next step is to help these small enterprises to grow into medium and large enterprises and thereby absorb the rural underemployed labour and become sources of income for farming families. Areas of high potential for small enterprises can be dairy, fattening, poultry, apiculture, construction and other urban-based services, such as maintenance. Although there are many forms of indigenous financial systems operating in rural areas, these systems can only provide a limited, mainly short-term, range of services. As a result, there is a high demand for flexible and easily accessible credit, saving and micro-insurance services in rural areas.

4.7

Encouraging private investors

Under the policy of strengthening private investors, attracting foreign investors to the agriculture sector, encouraging private investors in professional training, establishing linkages between investors and farmers are the basic strategies. The role of the private sector has been recognized prior and during PASDEP. The private sector is expected to play a critical role in sustaining economic growth and employment opportunities. The strategy related with the private sector states the participation of the private sector in implementing the development policies, strategies and programs of the GoE. Accordingly, private investors have made significant contribution to the agricultural development of the country. The GoE has privatized the state farms and promoted floriculture private business which is currently flourishing as a result of the favourable policy environment. In order to enhance private investment, MoARD established two new directorates (Private Sector Support and Horticulture Agency) solely for the private sector. Other non-agricultural, but very much

17

related fields are colleges and export–import organizations, which have also emerged and are expanding throughout the country as a result of the current policy and strategy related to private sector. The private sector investment is expected to expand towards agricultural research and extension, which will finally grow into private–public partnership with internationally known companies. The private sector policy also encourages establishment of associations, and as a result there are several associations like the Horticulture Producers Association, Pulses and Oil Crops Traders Association, Coffee Traders Association, Live Animal Traders Association and Meat Exporters Association. The current linkage between private investors and smallholders in the agricultural production as outgrowers is benefiting both partners and contributing to agricultural development. Such outgrowers’ schemes were strategic in addressing the land shortage problem of the private investors. As a result, such schemes are expanding in the areas of seed, malt barley, durum wheat, coffee and tea investment.

4.8

Expanding rural infrastructures

The strategies in expanding rural infrastructures include expanding educational and health services, improving rural roads and transportation services, improving the provision of portable water and expanding other infrastructures. Roads are essential prerequisites for rural development and poverty reduction. In the previous years, the road network in Ethiopia had one of the lowest densities in Africa (25 km/1000 km2), and as a result the rural parts of the country remain with traditional means of transportation. Agricultural commodities are transported mainly by pack animals, particularly horses, mules, donkeys and camels. Human labour, especially women, also carry goods for over 10 km towards market centres. In setting PASDEP, the government roads network program involves a major expansion of the road network with targets of 90% of the roads in rural areas. The efficiency and sustainability of transport services has been focusing on restoring and expanding road infrastructure to the rural population. The rural road development also enhanced capacity of the domestic construction industry. Realizing that rural areas have poor access to electric power, the government has given priority to bringing electricity to rural areas in the shortest possible time. Electricity is essential both as an input into the growth of the modern sector, which is needed to provide jobs and export earnings, and as an essential ingredient of the rural transformation agenda to provide the basis

18

for businesses and production in small- to medium-sized towns, and as an input into agriculture for irrigation pumping, commercial agricultural production, and processing. Electric power is also an important part of the social transformation for school children to study, and to preserve medicines under suitable temperatures in hospitals, health stations and clinics. Low productivity results in from relying heavily on firewood for energy which also depletes the existing forest resources. In telephone services, the core strategy is upgrading and expanding the telecommunications networks and services to bring about national growth as well as greatly support the rural economy. It is believed that having basic telephone access in villages allows farmers to get information on prices for their crops and livestock products. Telecommunication services also improved efficiency of local administration, encourages the development of trade and small businesses, and facilitates the provision of social services such as health, education and agricultural extension. In terms of connectivity, the government established the School-net, Woreda-net and Agri-net programs, and the existence of these connectivity facilities enhanced the flow of agricultural information in the form of periodic reporting.

4.9

Strengthening non-agricultural rural development

Appreciating non-agricultural development, using opportunities created by agricultural development and strengthening rural towns are the three important strategies in place to strengthen the non-agricultural rural development policy. For example, trade has been influenced by the general policy direction set since the current regime took power as a transitional government. The government’s domestic trade policy states that the role of the state in wholesale trade encourages domestic private capital to play the dominant role in wholesale trade, issues laws and regulations to regulate the private sector, wholesale and retail trade practices and enforces them properly, deregulates and decontrols prices and distribution. Foreign trade policy emphasizes adequate private sector participation in foreign trade activities by gradually abolishing state monopoly over foreign trade, regulating foreign trade by issuing appropriate foreign exchange and import export trade regulations, exploring ways and means for encouraging exports by providing fiscal incentives and promoting the use of trade information, gradually lowering import tariffs and replacing quantitative restrictions with tariffs, encouraging investment in export-oriented undertakings and projects, encouraging the diversification of Ethiopian export products and minimizing illicit trade.

19

4.10 Programs Program refers to a development agenda that contains similar activities designed to bring accelerated agricultural development, and enhances growth with a continuous resource allocation from internal and external sources via annual recurrent and/or capital budget. The current programs in the agriculture sector include: increasing food and cash crop production and productivity, integrated pest management, livestock production and health services, natural resource management, agricultural extension and research, food security and agricultural marketing and institutional innovations are the main programs under the nine policy directives of the country. Under natural resource, water harvesting and small irrigation development, sustainable land use; forest resources protection and management; and wild life conservation are the current key programs. The main marketing programs include agricultural input quality control, agricultural products marketing promotion, agricultural products quality improvement, agricultural marketing information system, establishment and strengthening of cooperatives and warehouse receipt and credit facility while programs under rural infrastructure are rural roads development, rural electrification, Woreda-Net, Agri-Net and School-Net.

4.11 Institutions implementing current policies, strategies and programs Institutions which are responsible for the implementation of the above agricultural and rural development policies, strategy and programs are government organizations, non-government organizations, the private sector, communities, donors and international research organizations, which are described as follows: At federal level, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) is responsible for the implementation of agricultural policies and strategies. In addition, inter-ministerial institutions in the forms of committees or boards of MoARD, play a supportive role in implementing pastoral, agricultural and rural development policies and strategies. Regional bureaus of agriculture and rural development (BoARD) are also using similar institutional arrangements to undertake regional rural development, and agricultural development policies and strategies, while the woreda administrative councils and kebele administrative councils are playing leading roles in implementing the policies and strategies related to agriculture and rural development. Cooperatives play a significant role in creating improved marketing systems and providing market information, and in other agricultural development works. The evolution of strong service cooperatives and cooperative unions are a prelude to having commodity exchange centres. 20

The agricultural extension system of the country has federal and regional arrangements, where agricultural techniques and vocational education training colleges (ATVETCs) and farmers’ training centres (FTCs) have played a critical role in producing and utilizing development agents. For sustained development, the government has recognized the role of the private sector in economic growth and employment, which is necessary for poverty reduction through private sector investment. Along food crops and livestock commercial farms, the floriculture business has boomed in recent years by attracting foreign investors. These agricultural and rural development policies, strategies and programs resulted in significant economic growth for the last six years. Summaries of the achievements for the last six or more years are presented in the following sections.

5

Achievements

Achievements in Ethiopian agriculture and rural development are results of intensive investments in research and development to attain accelerated and sustainable development targeted by PASDEP. The overall agricultural growth for the last six years was over 10%, and specific achievements are highlighted below.

5.1

Budget allocation for agriculture

The overall achievement is partly the result of heavy investment on the agricultural development by the GoE and partly the role of visionary leaders in the agriculture sector together with hardworking farmers. Since 2005, Ethiopia has allocated over 10% of the GDP to agricultural development, followed by Malawi. The average contribution of agriculture to the GDP over the last six years is 45%, whereas in previous years the contribution was more than 50%, indicating that the Ethiopian policy of agricultural-led industrialization is working very well. The contribution of the industry used to be very low in the 1990s, while the current contribution of this sector is increasing and slowly it will surpass agriculture as it is designed in PASDEP documents.

5.2

Intensive human resource development

The government’s response to the challenges of agricultural transformation and rural development for poverty reduction rests on capacity building of the key development actors. One of the unique strategies that enabled the country to achieve such remarkable agricultural growth for the last five years is that PASDEP gives greater emphasis to human resource development,

21

specifically to those working at grassroot level. In order to produce sufficient middle level trained personnel, the Government of Ethiopia established 25 agricultural techniques and vocational education training (ATVET) colleges throughout the country. These colleges, as of December 2007, produced 69,680 graduates in five fields of specialization, namely, 19,679 in plant sciences, 20,163 in animal sciences, 19,287 in natural resource management, 4864 in cooperatives and 5487 veterinary services. These graduates are working at farmers training centres (FTCs) established at kebele (lowest administrative entity) level. Each FTC has one plant science, one animal science and one natural resource graduate. On top of these three graduates, one animal health and one cooperative graduate is assigned to serve the three FTCs. The agricultural experts who are dealing with development work at woreda (district), zone and regional level also increased tremendously. At present, there are 6 PhD, 341 MSc, 1936 BSc and 29,102 diploma holders other than ATVET graduates. These workforces in the agriculture development are mainly concentrated in the four major regional states, namely, Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and Southern Nations and Nationalities People. Regional distribution of these agricultural experts is shown in Table 2. Table 2. Number of SMS by regional states No.

Regional state

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNPR Afar Somali Gambella Benishangul and Gumuz Total

PhD 2 1 2 1

MSc 49 46 143 85 2 5 5 6

6

341

Level of education BSc Diploma 605 2588 525 10,605 522 2546 670 11,818 23 47 21 900 12 17 58 581 2436

29,102

At federal level, there are 9 PhD, 123 MSc and 96 BSc graduates to provide technical backups to all regional states, with special emphasis to those emerging regional states. The federal level agricultural experts are also dealing with federal issues related with package formulation, regulatory issues and marketing. The human resource development strategy of PASDEP made a huge investment on upgrading the technical capacities of agricultural scientists. At present, there are 1253 agricultural scientists (138 PhD, 416 MSc, 29 DVM, 670 BSc holders) in various fields of specialization working at either federal or regional research institutes. Because of the intensive human resource development strategy, there were 403 (74 PhD and 329 MSc) researchers trained during the 22

last seven years (2001–2007). Details of trained scientists during the last seven years and the existing agricultural scientists are presented in Tables 3 and 4. Table 3. Number of researchers by institutes of regional states No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Institutes of regional states EIAR OARI ARARI SARI TARI SoRPARI APARI GARI Total

PhD 101 12 12 7 3 1 2 138

MSc 230 58 65 21 25 11 2 4 416

Level of education DVM BSc 9 289 6 130 4 130 2 51 6 41 1 18 1 7 4 29 670

EIAR = Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, OARI = Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, ARARI = Amhara Agricultural Research Institute, SARI = Southern Agricultural Research Institute, TARI = Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, SoRPARI = Somali Pastoral Agropastoral Research Institute, APARI = Afar Pastoral Agropastoral research Institute and GARI = Gambella Agricultural Research Institute.

Table 4. Number of agricultural researchers trained during 2001–2009 Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total

PhD 25 19 8 3 5 7 7

Number of trained researchers MSc Total 27 52 52 71 53 61 66 69 41 46 50 57 40 47

74

329

403

In summary, the number of agricultural experts in research and development have almost doubled compared to the years before the initiation of the new agricultural policies and strategies of the country. On the other hand, the establishment of the 25 ATVET colleges and their graduates, which were nil before the initiation of the new agricultural policies and strategies

23

of the country, indicates that intensive human resource development in the area of agriculture has contributed a lot to the agricultural growth over the past six years.

5.3

Cultivated area expansion

The cultivated area has increased from 9.44 million hectares in 2001 to 15.4 million hectares in 2009. Hence, the cultivated area and production have increased significantly for the last few years, implying that the horizontal expansion also contributed to the agricultural production growth of Ethiopia. The total cultivated area had no chance to use improved agricultural inputs as inputs are limited. The use of industrially manufactured chemical fertilizers has gained popularity and the importation and distribution of the two inorganic fertilizers, namely, Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and Urea is on the rise as explained in Section 5.6.

5.4

Technology generation and dissemination

During the last five years, there were 424 crop varieties released (195 varieties of cereals, 94 of pulses, 38 of oil crops, 42 of root crops, 20 of stimulant crops, 17 of vegetables, 13 of fibre crops, 9 of forage crops and 6 varieties of fruits) as reported by Abera (2006). Seeds/planting materials of these released varieties were produced and disseminated/promoted to the farming communities.

5.5

Trends in improved seed utilization

Improved seed has been considered as key input to increase productivities of the various priority crops identified for food security and thereby attain the Millennium Development Goals. The GoE has identified improving the efficiency of the seed system and promoting the utilization of this important agricultural input as a priority area. As a result of intensive promotion done for the newly developed agricultural technologies, the demand for improved seeds went up and at present there are a few private seed companies involved in seed business. The progress in the utilization of improved seeds in Ethiopia for the last five years is shown in Figure 2. The seed use in each decade has been more than double as compared to the seed utilization in the previous decade, indicating that utilization of improved seeds is increasing rapidly. The current seed system analysis shows that only 27% of the seed demand is met for major crops such as maize (Dawit et al. 2007). Therefore, the country has to go a long way to satisfy these demands. Such demand for improved seeds can be met only if private investors take part in the

24

seed business. The Government of Ethiopia is encouraging private investors to get involved in seed production and marketing. 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 1980’s

1990’s 2000’s 2009

Figure 2. Trends in improved seed utilization (MT).

Based on the survey report of CSA (2008), the area under field crops and horticultural crops covered by improved seed varieties in 2007 was 424,065 ha, 3.4% of the total area under crops. Though this is a low level of distribution, the trend is showing a sharp increase over the years. The effect of using improved seeds and fertilizer is reflected by changes in productivity, where the average grain yield of all field crops has increased from 11.24 quintal/ha to 14.71 quintal/ha between 2000 and 2007. This is an increase of 31% in a period of eight years, showing that the effort to fulfil food security can be significantly accelerated through the use of proper agricultural inputs.

5.6

Trends in fertilizer use

Inorganic fertilizer use in Ethiopia was the least in the world in the 1990s. However, since the new agricultural policies and strategies were initiated in 2001, the trend in fertilizer use shows that there is a sharp increase. The amount of fertilizer used in 2006 (400,000 tonnes) was four times higher than the amount of fertilizer used in 1990 or in 1992 (100,000) as presented in Figure 3.

25

800 700

600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Prior 1980’s

1980’s

1990’s

2000’s

2009

Figure 3. Trends in fertilizer use (000 MT).

Urea and Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) are the two popular fertilizer types that are being used in the country as potassium is considered as non-limiting factor in the Ethiopian soils. The trend analysis of the use of these two fertilizer types in Ethiopia would be very high. The intensive use of inputs (fertilizer and seed) has contributed a lot to the agricultural growth of the country. These two important inputs would remain important factors for the future of Ethiopian agriculture. Similar trends were also observed for various agricultural chemical (data not shown here). There was almost no chance of using improved agricultural inputs on the total cultivated area as inputs are limited. But the use of industrially manufactured chemical fertilizer has gained popularity and the importation and distribution of the two inorganic fertilizers, namely, DAP and Urea is increasing rapidly. According to the CSA data, a total of 5.6 million hectares, 45% of land under crops, was fertilized in 2007/08. Of the total area for each crop species, 64.8, 56.6, 51.4 and 44.8%, of vegetables, root and tubers, cereals, and permanent crops, respectively, were fertilized. Recent data obtained from the Agricultural Marketing and Inputs Directorate indicate that the consumption of chemical fertilizers in 2009 crop season was 710,000 tonnes, 62% of which was DAP and the remaining 38% was urea. Although the trend is encouraging, the supply is far behind the demand for fertilizer.

26

5.7

Agricultural production growth

Crops Agricultural policies and strategies are vital in attaining effective implementation of the food security program. PASDEP gives greater emphasis to crop production for food security. In relation to crop production, maximum attention has been given to increasing productivity and production through intensification and irrigation development wherever applicable. The current policy provides support and technology packages that enhance specialization and diversification appropriate to each agro-ecological zone in order to maximize accelerated crop production. The accelerated increase in crop production is expected to happen through increasing the quantity and quality of crops for domestic and export markets leading to commercialization. Ensuring adequate supply of fertilizer is made available through domestic production, efficient fertilizer importation and marketing system is also the policy direction to increase crop production together with developing effective seed production and supply system by allowing the public and private sectors to participate. In the process of commercialization, establishing integrated pest management that is environmentally friendly has been underlined. Intensification and area expansion of agricultural land integrated with modern agricultural inputs and appropriate management practices such as lime application, improved irrigation and drainage system and use of crop-related packages as well as training major actors and stakeholders in crop production technologies are key policy tools in achieving increased crop production targeted by PASDEP. In general, the growth of agricultural production in Ethiopia has been one of the main accomplishments of the country’s development and national food security policies. The country has made remarkable rates of production growth for the last five consecutive years. Cereals contributed the greatest share in the growth rate. There was also tremendous production growth for pulses and oil crops and other cash crops such as coffee that grew at rates much higher than the figures in the previous years. Crop production is estimated to contribute about 60% of the total agricultural production. The overall growth of crop production is shown in Figure 4. The growth rate of crop production shows that there is a sharp increase in production during the last five years. Improvements in the utilization of productive agricultural technologies and relatively conducive weather have contributed the largest share to crop production growth. An effective and efficient extension system and better price policy have influenced the agricultural growth of both grain and cash crops for the last five years. 27

Million (t) 20

15

10

5

0

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Figure 4. Trends in crop production (million tonnes).

Livestock The rural development policy and strategy recognizes that livestock is one of the major contributors to agricultural growth next to staple food crops. In the drought-prone areas, the recommended practices are poultry production, beekeeping, and dairy production. Furthermore, small ruminant production (sheep and goats) are receiving special attention in areas characterized by high population, fragmented land holding, land degradation, and arid climate. In areas where there is adequate rainfall, emphasis is being given to the improvement of animal feeds and nutrition while in drought-stressed areas, introduction of beekeeping technologies is highlighted. Conservation of rangeland/natural grazing land and animal feeds development are considered as key interventions to ensure food security in the drought-stressed areas. The core commodity areas of livestock are milk, meat, egg, honey and fish products to ensure food security in areas where animals are important for the livelihoods of the communities living in the area. The means to achieve these goals are through enhancing livestock-centred specialization that includes the importation of exotic breeds, and development and promotion of productive livestock technology packages.

28

PASDEP targets of accelerated increase in meat and milk productivity and production are to be achieved through improvement in animal health services, animal feeds and genetic improvement. Livestock with short gestation periods such as sheep and goats as well as poultry and apiculture are considered important for food security. The recent CSA data indicate that average milk yield per cow is increasing by less than 10%, and percent change in the camel’s average daily milk productivity is not stable. The frequency of honey harvest per year is showing a steady increase during the PASDEP period. This may indicate that the introduction of modern beehives and other beekeeping technologies are gaining ground. The increase in camel milk production in recent years shows that camels are becoming important sources of milk. The effort of the government in establishing various institutions for production of vaccines and drugs, controlling key diseases such as trypanosomosis, opening veterinary faculties in many local universities for producing trained personnel, and the decentralization of the animal health services shows positive directions for preventing and controlling livestock diseases in the country.

Natural resources management Introduction of sustainable land management focuses on soil and water conservation measures and afforestation. The effort made so far is very limited while degradation is occurring everywhere (Gete 2005). Besides, different approaches have been applied by different actors mostly in donor-supported programs. When compared with different African countries, especially in northern Africa, Ethiopia is lagging behind in utilization of water resources mainly for irrigation development. In Ethiopia only about 1 percent of the surface water, which is estimated to be 110 billion cubic meters is used for irrigation. The potential of irrigable land area of the country is estimated to be 3.7 million hectares and from this the potential for medium- and small-scale irrigation is estimated to be 2.9 million hectares (MoWR 2007/08). The trend of executing different natural resource management and utilization activities for the PASDEP period (2006–2008) was obtained from MoARD Natural Resource Directorate. The major components targeted in the PASDEP natural resources conservation and development plan are establishment of natural resources information database; issuance of land holding certificates; preparation of woreda level land use planning; identification of degraded land for intervention; moisture conservation; soil fertility management; and forest demarcation and small irrigation development. The achievement in tree-seed distribution is close to 100% followed by works on water conservation. The least achieved planned activity is land use planning. The plan was to undertake eight woreda-level land use plans but none were accomplished in the three PASDEP years. 29

5.8

Agricultural trade performance

As agricultural production has been growing quickly, agricultural trade was also growing in a similar pattern. The export volume and value rose quite significantly. As export increases, the share of agriculture has remained significant because the growth of non-agricultural export has been much lower than that of agriculture. The ever-increasing agricultural export of Ethiopia shows that the country has comparative advantages. The total revenue obtained by exporting agricultural products rose from USD 274 million in 2002 to USD 1.2 billion in 2009, showing that the annual rate of growth is quite significant. The progress of income from export for the last five years is presented in Figure 5. 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000

400,000 200,000 0 2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Figure 5. Trends in agricultural export value in USD.

Total volume and value of agricultural commodities export has shown positive trends. Coffee, pulse and oilseeds are the three main export agricultural commodities in terms of volume. In terms of value although coffee is the highest generator it is showing a decline percent share from the total value. This signals that the export product diversification strategy is showing a positive result. Pulses export is showing an upward trend. Pulse export increased sharply from 2002/03 to 2007/08. Oilseeds export also showed a positive growth trend but the volume exported dropped sharply in 2007/08, mainly due to international market situations. Live animals export has started to grow, and the newly established floriculture industry is expanding with an increasing share of the export value.

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5.9

Trends in agriculture investment

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) has undertaken policy, strategy and institutional reforms in all sectors with special emphasis to agriculture. The agriculture sector in turn is giving special attention to private investors as this component is the nucleus of the development of the agriculture sector in the country. The agricultural investment policy of the FDRE is very attractive and encouraging for investors to get involved in the various agricultural and rural development initiatives, programs, projects or related activities of the country. The policy and strategies of the federal and regional governments encourage investors to fully participate in owning all large- and medium-scale businesses in the agriculture sector and thereby transform the current subsistent agriculture to commercialized agriculture. Based on the data obtained from the Investment Office of Ethiopia, licensed investment projects in agriculture increased from 9 in 1992 to 6602 projects in 2008 with a respective capital of USD 26.3 million to 21.9 billion. The number of employees has also increased from 575 in 1992 to 170,954 individuals in 2008. In September 2008, there were 6602 agricultural projects with an investment capital of USD 89.2 billion and with 524,566 permanent or contractual employees. The yearly database of agricultural investment capital and the number of employees is presented in figure 6. 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 1980

1990’s

2000’s

2009

Figure 6. Trends in agricultural investment capital (billion birr).

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Another important area which reflects the contribution of existing policies and strategies towards a positive change is the growth of agroprocessing. This change has been depicted by rates of change in terms of emergence and expansion of agroprocessing industries and their value addition as a result of increased production. Agroprocessing plants for vegetables and animal oils and fats, manufacture of grain mill products, manufacture of bakery products, manufacture of sugar and sugar confectionery, thinning and dressing of leather, manufacture of foot-wear, luggage and handbags are the major agroprocessing activities. The current agroprocessing establishment is dominated by bakeries with small contribution to the annual value product compared to the few sugar-based processing plants with relatively high value addition. This indicates that a lot has to be done in terms of promoting and supporting high value-added agroprocessing establishments.

6

Summary and conclusion

Proper agricultural development policies and programs are very important to achieve rapid and sustainable growth. Ethiopia’s rapid agricultural growth would not have been possible without the design and implementation of effective agricultural policies and programs by MoARD. The experience of the Ethiopian MoARD shows that institutional innovation, technological changes, market reform and infrastructure development are critical to agricultural growth and food security. Agricultural growth at the initial stage of economic take-off and non-farm employment during industrialization are other important factors in poverty reduction. The current trend analysis also shows that PASDEP will provide more opportunities for agriculture-led industrialization policy that would lead to rapid economic growth in the country. The rapid and sharp agricultural growth of Ethiopia would create a conducive environment for commercialization of agriculture, investment in agriculture and ago-industry, and increase in export for remarkable improvement in international trade. This would be possible through establishing strong partnerships with local, regional and international organizations. The experience gained in improving and sustaining agricultural growth shows that the most important ingredient for successful agricultural development policies and programs is participation of relevant stakeholders at various levels (planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation). Intensive and extensive participatory learning-by-doing and focusing on the most important elements of agricultural product value chains also needs to be an area of focus. Development and implementation of a robust plan for communication, knowledge sharing and learning with stakeholders is another important element of the lessons learnt in the ‘take off of Ethiopian agriculture’.

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References Abera Deressa. 2006. Terminal Report. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: EIAR. CSA (Central Statistical Agency). 2007. Agricultural sample survey reports on area, production for major crops (private peasant holdings Meher season). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: CSA. Dawit Alemu, Mwangi W., Mandefro Nigussie, and Spielman D.J. 2007. An analysis of maize seed production and distribution systems in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley. EIAR Research Report No 72. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: EIAR. MoARD (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). 2006. Major agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. Forestry, Land use and Soil Conservation Department. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: MoARD. MoWR (Ministry of Water Resources). 2007/08. Water Sector Development Program. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: MoWR.

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Achievements and challenges in Ethiopian agriculture Slide 1 Achievements and challenges in Ethiopian agriculture Abera Deresa, PhD State Minister, MoARD November 2009

Slide 2

Presentation outline      

Introduction Resource base Major challenges Policy and strategy Achievements Future directions

2

Slide 3

1. Introduction Agriculture  Contributes 45% to the GDP  Generates 85% foreign currency  Employs about 83% of the population  Main source of raw materials  Agriculture is the main sector of economic growth

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Slide 4

2. Resource base: 2.1 Land

4

um

id

SemiSe m

i-h

al

arid

2.2 Agro-ecology im pt O

Slide 5

Arid 1. Updated version of AEZ 2. Has 32 major AEZ 3. Quite useful in planning

Excess 5

Slide 6

2.3 Water resources  12 big rivers  10 lakes  Rain 1200–2000 ml  = 123 billion m3  Ground water  = 13.5 billion m3

6

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Slide 7

2.4 Biodiversity  One of the center of diversity  Very useful genetic resources  For the world  For the region  For the country  Excellent conservation centre  Crops  Forest species  Microbes 7

Slide 8

2.5 Livestock 49.3 million cattle 46.9 million small ruminants 42.1 million poultry and 2.3 million camels

8

Slide 9

2.6 Human resource    

74 million population 69,680 DA and SMS 1253 scientists 12.8 million farming households

99

36

Slide 10

3 Major challenges Abiotic  Land degradation  Soil acidity and salinity  Poor Vertisol management  Diverse agro-ecology  Poor marketing system

10

Slide 11 Natural resources degradation

11

Slide 12

Major challenges (cont’d) Biotic

   

Termites Weeds Animal diseases Unimproved animal breeds

12

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Slide 13

Other challenges   

Limited FTCs constructed Backward practices Climate change  Natural disaster  Drought  Flood  Diseases

13

Slide 14

4 National policy and strategy Policy — Free Market Economy  Strategy — ADLI

14

ARD policies and strategies a. Basic direction of AD

Slide 15     

Extensive utilization of human labour Proper use of agricultural land A foot on land Compatible approach with agro-ecology Integrated development approach

15

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Slide 16

b. Building human resource capacity   

Improving the capacity of professionals Maintenance of farmers health Improving the generation, multiplication and dissemination of technologies

16

Slide 17

c. Proper land use  Implementing the land ownership policy  Pursuing appropriate land use policy  Improving water use

17

Slide 18

d. Preparing development packages     

Combining diversification and specialization New approach for drought prone areas Proper use of areas with sufficient rainfall New approach with pastoral areas Utilization of uncultivated areas

18

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Slide 19

e. Creating market-led AD   

Without market-led AD  No rapid growth  No sustainable development Developing market-demanded products Improving agricultural marketing system

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Slide 20

f. Improving the finance system  Banks and rural finance system  Rural Banks  Cooperatives

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Slide 21

g. Encouraging private sector  Attracting investors to agriculture  Encouraging private investors through extension services

 Establishing linkages between investors and farmers

 Establishing private sector support institutions

21

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Slide 22

h. Expanding rural infrastructure    

Expanding educational and health services Improving rural roads and transportation Improving the provision of portable water Expanding other infrastructure

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Slide 23

i. Strengthening non-agricultural development  Appreciating non-agricultural development  Using opportunities created by agricultural development

 Strengthening rural towns linkage

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Slide 24

5 Achievements

24

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Slide 25

Budget allocation for AD of 10 countries Countries 2002 2003 Burundi Egypt Ethiopia Kenya Rwanda Uganda Botswana Malawi Tanzania Zambia

3.6 6 9.2 4.58 8.6 6.9 4.4 5.2 4.5 8.5

6.1 5.94 8.1 4.59 3.9 5.2 5.9 7.2 6.8 8.9

2004

2005

4.4 5.08 13.4 4.59 4 5.03 5.6 6.5 5.5 5.3

5.01 16.3 3.4 3.2 4.7 10 5.5 5.6

2006 2007 16.8 3.3 5.2 17.2 6.3

13 12.2 25

Slide 26 Trends in the performance of the macro economy (%) Sector/indicator

2003 2004

2005 2006 2007 2008

GDP in 1999/00 prices

11.7

12.6

11.5

11.5

11.6

10.2

Agriculture value 16.9 add growth

13.5

10.9

9.4

7.5

8.5

47.4

47.1

46.3

44.6

43

Agriculture Share to GDP

47.0

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Slide 27

5.1 Human Resource  Intensive training  Scientists  Subject matter specialists  Development agents  Farmers

27

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Slide 28

8000 FTCs constructed

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Slide 29

Agricultural education  Universities  25 ATVET colleges  Train DA at diploma level  Plant science  Animal science  NRM  Cooperatives/Agri-business  Animal health 29

Slide 30 Community level HRD, for six countries

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Slide 31 5.2 Enhanced conservation, technology generation and dissemination  60,000 samples conserved  80,000 used for breeding  575 technologies imported for adaptation  580 research recommendations  02 technologies  378 Information 31

Slide 32

5.3 Increased seed and fertilizer use

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Slide 33

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44

Slide 34

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Slide 35

5.4 Increased production and productivity  Crops  Livestock  NRM

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Slide 36

Newly introduced crop, rice

6-11 t/ha

45

4

Slide 37

3.5t/ha

Improved Local

3

3.1

2.9

2

1.2 1

1.3

1.0

0

D. wheat

Sorghum

Millet

Slide 38 Import substituted Quality malt barely

Slide 39

Sorghum 3t e im sm ore yie ld Striga resistant

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Slide 40

Vegetables Over 5 times yield increase

Over 10 times yield increase

Slide 41

Onion seed production

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Slide 42 Summary of achievements in crops

42

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Slide 43

Achievements in livestock Dairy cows

Apiculture

Fattening

Slide 44

44

Slide 45 Achievements in NRM

Soil conservation

45

48

Slide 46

Improved NRM

Water conservation

Plantation

46

Slide 47

From rain-fed to irrigated Am ha ra

Or o

m

ia

47

Slide 48

NRM summary  Forestry  Seedlings planted, in billions  Land reclaimed, quite significant  Soils  Conservation, in thousands ha  Water  Small-scale irrigation, 630,938 ha  Water harvesting, 492,770 ha 48

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Slide 49 5.5 Enhanced investment in agriculture

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Slide 50

50

Slide 51

51

50

Slide 52

52

Slide 53

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Slide 54

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Slide 55

5.6 Up-coming agricultural support  CAADP  Compact agreement signed  Covers critical gaps in  Policy  Institutional  Programs

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5.7 ARD Partners linkage advisory council established

Slide 56    

Federal level Regional level Zonal level Wereda level

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Slide 57 5.8 RED/FS sector working group established  Harmonization created  Synergy created  Mobilization is easy

57

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Slide 58

5.9 Impact     

Improved income Farmers are counting millions Improved livelihoods Increased investment Increased foreign earnings

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Slide 59

6. Future direction    

Slide 60

Proper management of resources Appropriate technologies for each AEZ Build capacity of the actors Improve access to technologies

Future direction (cont’d)    

Enhancing market oriented agricultural production Expanding agroprocessing Focusing on export commodities Strengthening public and private partnership

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Slide 61

Future direction (cont’d)  

Networking value chain actors Scale-up and scale-out best practices

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Slide 62

Thank you Congra Prof!

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Role of agricultural institutions of higher learning in creating the next generation agricultural leaders in Ethiopia Belay Kassa (Professor) Haramaya University

Abstract The Ethiopian economy is predominantly agricultural. Consistently, over 45% of the GDP and over 90% of exportable commodities are accounted for by the agricultural sector. Moreover, this sector provides employment for about 85% of the labour force. However, Ethiopian agriculture is characterized by very low productivity. The average grain yield for various crops is less than one tonne per hectare. The animal production subsector experiences decreasing productivity as a result of poor management systems, shortage of feed and inadequate healthcare services. The low productivity of the agricultural sector has made it difficult to attain food self-sufficiency at national level. One of the major obstacles to the rapid development of the agricultural sector in Ethiopia is the scarcity of skilled and experienced labour. It is also widely believed that the poor research–extension–education linkage is partly responsible for the current low level of agricultural productivity. The absence of effective linkages has been cited repeatedly as one of the major problems in agricultural education in Ethiopian research and extension systems. Agricultural institutions of higher education have contributed to the agricultural sector through training of high level agricultural professionals, enhancement of indigenous research capability and generation and dissemination of technologies. Available evidence shows that the number of graduates from agricultural institutions of higher education is very small compared with the country’s demand for qualified agricultural professionals. It is, however, public knowledge that these few graduates have been playing leading roles in the agricultural education, research and extension endeavours of the country. This paper addresses issues of high-level agricultural manpower training in Ethiopian institutions of higher education. At present, higher education in agriculture and related fields is offered in all of the eleven ‘old’ universities in the country.1 Even though the majority of the newly established universities are involved in training agricultural professionals, they were not included in the present study because they are quite new and have very limited research and outreach programs. 1. The eleven ‘old’ universities referred to here include Dilla, Adama and Ambo universities.

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The objectives of the paper are to: • review the historical development of higher-level agricultural manpower training in Ethiopia; • assess weaknesses of higher-level agricultural education, research and extension systems; • identify future challenges for higher-level agricultural education, research and extension systems; and • summarize the main findings and draw appropriate conclusions.

Introduction Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa both in terms of land area (1.1 million km2) and human population (estimated at 82 millions in 2010). Agriculture is the basis of the Ethiopian economy. It accounts for about 40% of the GDP and 90% of the total export revenue and employs 85% of the country’s labour force (FDRE 2010). Ethiopian agriculture is virtually small-scale, subsistence-oriented and crucially dependent on rainfall. About 90% of the country’s agricultural output is generated by subsistence farmers who use traditional tools and farming practices ( MoFED 2008; Dercon et al. 2009). Low productivity characterizes Ethiopian agriculture. The average grain yield for various crops is less than two tonnes per hectare (Byerlee et al. 2007; Dercon et al. 2009). The livestock subsector plays an important role in the Ethiopian economy. The majority of smallholder farms depend on animals for draught power, cultivation and transport of goods. The subsector makes also significant contribution to the food supply in terms of meat and dairy products as well as to export in terms of hides and skins which make up the second major export category. However, the productivity of the subsector is decreasing as a result of poor management systems, shortage of feed and inadequate health care services (FDRE 2010). Despite the importance of agriculture to the Ethiopian economy, food insecurity has been an enormous challenge to the nation since the early 1970s. In this connection, it is important to note that over the last three decades Ethiopian agriculture has been unable to produce sufficient quantities to feed the country’s rapidly growing population (Gill 2010). As a result, the country has been increasingly dependent on commercial food imports and food aids. In recent years food aid has been accounting for a significant proportion of the total food supply in the country. For instance, over the period 2003–2010 the average annual emergency food requirement of the country amounted to 808,566 tonnes. Similarly, over the same period, the average annual number of people needing emergency food assistance was reported to be 4,926,966 (Government of Ethiopia et al.). Available evidence shows that yields of major crops under farmers’ management are still far lower than what can be obtained under research managed plots (Abate 2006; EIAR 2007). This 56

is a clear indication of the gap, which exists between researchers and farmers. The absence of effective linkage between agricultural research and extension systems has repeatedly been reported as one of the major reasons for the low productivity of Ethiopian agriculture. There had been no forum where this linkage problem had not been raised as a result of which it has become a concern among policymakers, researchers, development workers and funding organizations (Belay 2008). Human resource constraints in agricultural development had been a serious concern when modern agricultural production and organized extension started in Ethiopia. Consequently, Agricultural Institutions of Higher Education (AIHE) were established to train and produce skilled manpower to staff agricultural research and extension organizations as well as commercial farms. It is evident that graduates of AIHE are expected to serve the needs of the country’s agrarian sector and make remarkable changes in the production and productivity. For this, the curricula for the training programs must be tuned to the needs of key stakeholders and they must be relevant in terms of producing graduates with knowledge and skills required by the stakeholders. In the current state of affairs where food insecurity is a structural problem in the country, agricultural institutions of higher education are expected to play a leading role in training skilled manpower who can serve as catalysts in identifying root causes for low agricultural productivity, searching for possible remedial measures to surmount the problem of food insecurity, improving the traditional farming practices and transforming the agricultural sector. The objective of this paper is to look into the potential roles that agricultural institutions of higher education play in transforming Ethiopian agriculture. The paper is based on a thorough review of existing literature on agricultural higher education, research and extension systems in the country. The rest of the paper is organized in six sections. Section two focuses on the origin and development of AIHE in Ethiopia. Section three discusses the contributions of AIHE to the development of the agricultural sector. The fourth section examines the problems facing AIHE. The fifth section identifies and discusses future challenges for AIHE. The sixth section examines the experience of Haramaya University in launching and successfully running an innovative mid-career BSc degree program in Rural Development and Agricultural Extension. The last section summarizes the main findings of the study and draws appropriate conclusions.

Origin and development of university-level agricultural education in Ethiopia University level agricultural education in Ethiopia began in the early 1950s, following the ‘Point Four General Agreement for Technical Co-operation between the United States of America and the Ethiopian Empire’, which was signed in Addis Ababa on 16 June 1951. This 57

agreement became the working plan and legal basis for the agricultural education program of the country. Prior to this agreement, there had been no institution of higher learning in Ethiopia that could impact formal training in agriculture and teach practices which could contribute positively to the growth and development of the agricultural sector. Referring to the situation of trainedpersonnel in the sector in the early 1950s, Brannon (1966)2, stated: ‘By 1952, although education was receiving major governmental support, personnel with training in technical agriculture was practically non-existent. We were unable to locate within the Empire a single national with the equivalent of a Bachelor of Science degree in any phase of agriculture. Not one. Only a very few had technical training to the diploma level.’ Officials of both countries recognized the urgent need for setting up a system of agricultural education in Ethiopia. On 15 May 1952, the Agreement for a Co-operative Agricultural Education program between The Imperial Ethiopian Government and the Government of the United States of America was signed in Addis Ababa. This agreement laid down the foundations for the establishment of the Jimma Agricultural and Technical School and the Imperial Ethiopian College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (IECAMA) popularly called ‘Alemaya College of Agriculture’, now Haramaya University. On the following day, 16 May 1952, another agreement signed between the Technical Co-operation Administration of the United States Department of State (TCA), now United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, now Oklahoma State University (OSU), gave to the latter the mandate: • • • •

to establish and operate the college; to establish and operate a nationwide system of agricultural extension; to set up agricultural research and experiment stations; and to furnish technicians and administrative staff to start the college.

Based on the then Emperor’s suggestion and the recommendation from Oklahoma State University, it was decided to establish the college at Alemaya, 525 km to the East of Addis Ababa. The academic program of the college was modelled on the Land-grant College system with three fundamental but related responsibilities: training of highly skilled workers; promotion of agricultural research; and dissemination of appropriate technologies (OSU 1969). Moreover, an operational agreement, signed on 24 June 1952, between the TCA and the Imperial Ethiopian Government provided for the development and operation of the Jimma Agricultural and Technical School (JATS) at Jimma, southwestern Ethiopia. The fundamental 2. Dr. Luther H. Brannon was a member of the first group of six Americans, from Oklahoma State University, who arrived in Ethiopia in late August 1952 with a mission to establish and operate agricultural education, research and extension systems in the country.

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objectives of this school were: to train students in modern agricultural practices so that they could attenuate the shortage of mid-level qualified workforce in the country; and to serve as a source of future college students. The first classes of the JATS started in October 1952, with 80 students, selected from a total of 500 applicants. The school administration assigned the successful candidates to the four high-school classes on the basis of their preparation. In all, 19 members of the senior class graduated on 6 August 1953. These graduates remained at Jimma and became the first freshman students of the IECAMA (Siegenthaler 1965). Thus, the first university-level agricultural training program, with a 4-year curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in General Agriculture, started in September 1953 at the JATS. On 5 July 1957 (at the end of the 1956/57 academic year), 11 students completed their studies and graduated in Bachelor of Science degrees in General Agriculture. The original curriculum of the college was to produce graduates with BSc degree in general agriculture. Gradually, however, adapting the training programs to the felt needs of the country led to the introduction of additional programs of study at Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degree levels. The IECAMA was originally conceived as an independent institution administered by a president with the advice and counsel of Trustees. Members of the Board were appointed by the Emperor and the President was appointed by the OSU and his appointment was subject to the approval of the Emperor (OSU 1969). With the foundation of the Haile Selassie I University, now Addis Ababa University (AAU), in February 1961, the college became one of the chartered units of the university and was renamed ‘Haile Selassie I University College of Agriculture’. The post of the president was abolished on 1 July 1966 and in accordance with university policy, the top administrative position became that of a Dean. The contractual agreement with the OSU terminated in 1968 and the college was placed fully on the budget of the Ethiopian government (OSU 1969). The college functioned as a chartered member of the AAU till 27 May 1985 when it was upgraded to a university level. Until the middle of the 1970s, university-level education in agriculture and related fields was offered at Alemaya College of Agriculture, the Institute of Animal Health Assistants, Ambo and Jimma Institutes of Agriculture. However, since the second half of the 1970s, different colleges of agriculture and other agriculture-related institutions have been set up in different parts of the country. At present 20 of the 22 public universities are training students in agriculture and related fields. While 8 universities offer both undergraduate and post-graduate (MSc or both MSc and PhD) programs, the remaining 12 universities offer only first degree programs in agriculture and related fields.

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It must be noted that in addition to the agricultural institutions of higher education, the current agricultural education system in Ethiopia includes Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) colleges and Farmer Training Centres (FTC). Though the focus of this study is on AIHE, in what follows the ATVET and FTC are briefly discussed. The Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) colleges, are funded and managed by the Federal and/or Regional Government. Currently, there are 25 ATVET colleges throughout the country, which train middle level agricultural manpower in the areas of animal health, animal sciences, cooperatives, natural resources management and plant sciences. The total duration of study in ATVET centres is three years, two years of study on campus and a ten-month apprenticeship with close supervision in the final year (Davis et al. 2007; Belay 2008)3. The FTC are designed as local-level focal points for farmers to receive information, training, demonstrations, and advice, and include both classroom and demonstration fields. FTC are established at the level of a peasant association and are expected to form an important node between extension and farmers in the agricultural sector (Davis et al. 2007)4.

Contributions of agricultural institutions of higher education to the development of the agricultural sector The contributions of the AIHE in the development of the agricultural sector must be seen visà-vis their mandates. A closer look at the mission statements of the AIHE reveals that they are entrusted with the tasks of: • capacity building (Diploma, BSc, MSc, PhD, Post-doctoral and short-term courses) using different modes of delivery; • offering skills enhancement courses based on identified competency gaps; • conducting quality, relevant and impact-oriented research; • participating actively in the National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems; and • developing organic and symbiotic community engagement programs (concept of social relevance). In recent years, agricultural institutions of higher education have been under increasing governmental pressure to make direct, visible, and relevant contribution to national research and development. More precisely, teaching, research, and outreach programs of agricultural 3. The training programs of ATVET centres are designed in such a way that 30% of the program would focus on theoretical aspects and the remaining 70% on hands-on practical training, which includes the ten-month apprenticeship in the final year. Graduates from ATVET colleges are placed at the level of peasant associations and work as development agents. 4. Each FTC is to be staffed by three development agents (one each in the areas of crops, livestock, and natural resource management) and supported by a peripatetic development agent covering several FTC and trained in cooperatives management or a related field. Each development agent is expected to train 120 farmers per year in his or her field of specialization. It is estimated that currently there are close to 15,000 Farmer Training Centres throughout the country.

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institutions of higher education are expected to be in line with national strategies for meeting the challenges of food security, economic growth, and sustainable environmental management (Aregay 2004; Davis et al. 2007; Belay 2008). In this section, the contributions of AIHE in terms of manpower training, research outputs and provision of extension/community services will be discussed.

Manpower training Agricultural institutions of higher education have made contribution to the agricultural sector principally through training high level agricultural professionals. Available evidence shows that the number of graduates from agricultural institutions of higher education is very small compared with the country’s demand for qualified agricultural professionals. Graduates of the AIHE have been serving the country as extension agents, development workers, subject matter specialists, teachers, researchers, experts, heads of different offices, consultants, policymakers, ministers etc. Information concerning the occupational distribution of the graduates from AIHE is difficult to obtain. Moreover, given the fact that there has been no tracer study in the country, it is very difficult to quantify the real contribution of graduates in agriculture and related fields to economic development. However, one can safely say that AIHE have been contributing positively to the national development efforts because in their absence there would not have been the progress achieved so far. It is gratifying to note that the need to build and strengthen human resource development capacity of AIHE to meet the high demand for skilled agricultural professionals to staff agricultural agencies has been given high priority and support by the current government. In this respect, it is important to note that over the last 5 years 30 new first degree programs aimed at training students in various fields of agriculture were launched by AIHE. Like wise, during the same period, close to 50 new postgraduate programs (MSc and PhD) in agriculture were started in 8 AIHE. It is widely believed that institutions of higher education must evolve in response to changes in the economic and social conditions. More precisely, the higher education system in a country must strive to address the needs of different clients. In general, institutions of higher education are expected to provide the following types of training programs: programs for traditional students (regular students); programs for nontraditional students (working adult students); life long learning; and non-credit courses (tailor-made courses addressing the needs of specific clientele). An examination of the different programs offered by the AIHE in the country shows that they are more focused on traditional students and they are marginally involved in providing services to other categories of students. 61

Research undertaking Available evidence shows that almost all Ethiopian AIHE are teaching-focused institutions. It is also interesting to note that only few of the AIHE (Addis Ababa University, Bahir Dar University, Haramaya University, Hawassa University, Jimma University and Mekele University) have been receiving government funding for research.5 A closer look at the research funds received by these AIHE reveals that the amounts have been very modest, and limited the institutions to undertake only applied/adaptive types of research. Over the past few years, some universities have received research funds from external sources and carried out research projects, which in some cases did not fit into local priorities (Belay et al. 2010a). Examination of the performance of AIHE in terms of research outputs reveals that not all AIHE have been producing and releasing improved technologies/varieties. More precisely, a closer look into the research performance of the AIHE reveals that, thus far, they have developed and released 130 crop varieties and 16 different technologies. Of the 130 crop varieties and 16 technologies produced and released by the AIHE, 125 crop varieties and all of the 16 technologies were accounted for by Haramaya University and the remaining 5 crop varieties by the Hawassa University (Belay 2008). This is partly because of the fact that, of the all AIHE, only Haramaya University has been participating actively in the National Agricultural Research System. More precisely, unlike other AIHE, Haramaya University has been commissioned to conduct adaptive and applied research to support development in Eastern Ethiopia and in this capacity it shares responsibility for public sector agricultural research in the country. The principal drawback of agricultural research in AIHE is that many research projects have often addressed topics of personal interest (with the goal of publishing results) and have been found to be less relevant to the basic and urgent needs of poor farmers (Teshome 2004; Belay 2008). Of equal importance, but often unnoticed by the researchers, is the fact that in most instances farmers have not been encouraged to take part in the identification of research problems. Moreover, researchers have paid little regard to the farmers’ opinions, attitudes, customs, practices and priorities. In general, research efforts should fall in line with the needs and pressing problems of farmers so that research results become more acceptable and meaningful to farmers. At present, in almost all AIHE research culture has not yet fully developed. For instance, research undertaking is not considered as a mandatory activity and there is little/no recognition for research undertaking. Even worse, research work on policy related matters is non-existent. However, experience from other parts of the world reveals that the involvement of the teaching staff in research undertaking has multiplier effects in that students benefit from research outputs 5. These universities are the only ones among the AIHE that are actively engaged in agricultural research both through direct involvement of the staff and graduate students’ theses research work.

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by gaining basic and applied knowledge and skills that would enhance their performance on jobs (Ayalew et al. 2009). It is, therefore, important that the AIHE take greater responsibility for setting priorities, generating research funds from own sources, building their research capacity, managing research and disseminating knowledge. In this respect, the Ethiopian Government can encourage and support AIHE in their endeavour to build research capacity, develop a research culture and generate new knowledge.

Providing community/extension services It is evident that manpower training is the primary mission of AIHE. However, in addition to their primary function, AIHE are expected to play a developmental role by establishing linkages with public, private and non-governmental organizations engaged in agricultural and rural development and with farming communities. Available evidence shows that, in Ethiopia, AIHE have traditionally engaged in agricultural research, but less in agricultural extension. However, during the past few years, community engagement/extension activities by AIHE seem to have gained importance as shown in Table 1. Table 1. Involvement of Agricultural Institutions of Higher Education in community/extension activities Distribution Result/method On-farm Training of leaflets/ demonstration/ Farmers’/ research/ of bulletin/ tours University field days observation farmers extension on research plots manuals plots Addis Ababa Xa Xa Haramaya X X X Xa Xa Hawassa Xb X Xa Xa Ambo Xb Xa Xa Jimma Xa Mekele Xb X Xa Xa

Distribution Advisory of services improved to farmers technologies Xa Xa

Xa

Xa Xa

X : activities carried out on regular basis. Xa : activities carried out occasionally. Xb: activities started recently as part of externally funded projects.

As can be seen from Table 1, only 6 of the 20 universities that offer training programs in agriculture and related fields are providing community/extension services. The community engagement/extension activities of AIHE include training extension workers and farmers, preparing extension booklets and manuals, conducting on-farm trials/observation plots, organizing farmers’ day/field days, undertaking result/method demonstrations, distributing improved technologies, and providing advisory services. The provision of advisory services and distribution of improved technologies to farmers by AIHE seem to be limited to those farmers who live in close proximity to the institutions.

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It is also interesting to note that the involvement of the AIHE in the provision of community/ extension services varies from one institution to another. More precisely, while five of the six AIHE listed in Table 1 provide services intermittently, only Haramaya University carries out some extension activities on regular basis. A closer look at Table 1 shows also that only four of the six AIHE reported to have had experience in producing and distributing technical leaflets and extension training manuals, meant to be used in agricultural extension. It is, however, important to note that these materials were prepared occasionally and they were not always prepared in languages that farmers could understand. Even though AIHE contribute positively to the national development process through, among others, the training of highly qualified manpower to staff agricultural agencies, sharing responsibility for public sector agricultural research, training extension workers/farmers/subject matter specialists, providing agricultural advisory services to farming communities, recurring famines and droughts in the country point to the fact that AIHE, agricultural professionals and policymakers have not been able to break the famine cycle and bring about perceptible changes in the agricultural sector.

Problems facing agricultural institutions of higher education Problems facing institutions of higher learning in agriculture and related fields differ from one institution to another and are very complex and diverse. In what follows only those problems which are not institution specific and which apply to all will be presented.

Shortage of highly qualified, competent and experienced staff The ability of institutions of higher education in agriculture and related fields to attain their mandates is heavily dependent on the quality and experience of their staff. The present staffing situation of these institutions reveals the fact that most of them suffer from the chronic shortage of highly qualified and experienced staff. Upgrading the academic qualifications of the staff has been placed high on the agenda of these institutions since their establishment. Especially, since the early 1990s unprecedented efforts have been made to train staff members both at MSc and PhD levels on the firm ground that an investment in human capital would yield long-term multiplier effects and contribute to the economic development of the nation. However, efforts at upgrading and training staff have, in general, not come to fruition because a considerable proportion of the senior staff members sent abroad for their terminal degrees never come back. Furthermore, professional attrition is another serious problem affecting institutions of higher education in that senior staff members with rich experience in teaching and research tend to often move to private or non-governmental organizations which offer them high pay and attractive terms of employment.

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In general, available evidence suggests that high turn over of experienced teaching staff coupled with a sharp rise in the student population forced the institutions to rely heavily on recruiting young Ethiopians, with little or no experience in teaching and research, and foreign nationals. The AIHE are now dominated by young national staff who are not very experienced and foreign nationals who have little or no basic knowledge of Ethiopian agriculture (Belay 2008; Belay and Ferdu 2008; Ayalew et al. 2009).

Shortage of supplies/equipment and inadequate facilities The availability of basic materials and teaching aids, like photocopy machines, computers, audio-visual aids, vehicles etc. is very important in facilitating the activities of instructors and harmonizing the teaching-learning process. At present, in most institutions, there is either a serious shortage or an absolute lack of supplies and facilities required for adequate teaching. In spite of the steady increment in the student population of the institutions of higher education, since the second-half of the 1970s, classrooms, dormitories, cafeterias, health services and laboratory facilities have not grown to commensurate degree. This has led to the utilization of the existing facilities in excess of their capacity, in turn resulting in class congestion, difficulty in giving adequate attention to students etc. It is also sad to note that in almost all AIHE, classrooms in which lectures are delivered are not equipped with teaching aid such as computers, overhead projectors, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projectors (; Belay 2008; Ayalew et al. 2009).

Lack of adequate and up-to-date reference books and journals Up-to-date and specialized literature and references are essential for the realization of the different objectives of the institutions of higher learning. At present, most of the books and periodicals available in these institutions are of very limited relevance to the courses being taught. It is worth noting, for example, that training in improved agricultural methods and production management skills is among the most important activities of institutions of higher education in agriculture. This, however, requires that the staff keep pace with the recent advances in their respective areas of specialization and current, topical and specialized reading materials be easily available to them through purchase or borrowing. The current problem of library materials will be compounded if one takes into account the near non-availability of publications focusing on Ethiopia in all these institutions.

Weak practical training component The catalogues of the institutions of higher education in agriculture and related fields underline the importance of the practical training component. Available evidence indicates that till the mid-1970s, due emphasis was placed on practical training and graduates of these institutions 65

proved themselves competent and up to the standard. However, with the growing student population, most of these institutions were forced to stretch their existing facilities to the limit. This proved to be particularly detrimental to the practical component of the training programs (Davis et al. 2007; Ayalew et al. 2009; Belay et al. 2010b). Thus, student would not be taught to appreciate the basic problems facing agriculture in contemporary Ethiopia; thereby not preparing them fully for what will be expected of them after graduation.

Dominance of traditional teaching approaches Traditional teaching approaches still dominate in the Ethiopian higher education system (Belay 2005; Ayalew et al. 2009; Belay et al. 2010b). These approaches are ‘teacher-centred approaches’ where teachers give formal lectures to transmit knowledge and students are expected to reproduce it accurately in examinations. The traditional approaches reduce students to passive recipients of knowledge and mostly lead to a surface level learning and over-dependence on the lectures. It is widely believed that the traditional teaching approaches are beset with the dangers of rote recall and spewing out of knowledge without any interpretation on the part of the students (Belay 2005; Ayalew et al. 2009). The current trend in many parts of the world is to shift from the ‘teacher-centred approaches’ to ‘student-centred approaches’ on the ground that the latter are more aligned with the skills (life long learning, inter-personal, higher order thinking, and communication skills as well as specialized and general knowledge) needed in the workforce of the increasingly global economic system.6 In this connection, it is important to note that feedback from employers indicated the prevalence of serious lack of problem-solving skills among graduates of AIHE. In other words, it was reported that the practical training acquired by graduates of AIHE was inadequate and could not prepare them for the responsibilities they would assume after graduation (Aregay 2004; Davis et al. 2007; Belay et al. 2010b).

Shortage of information and communication technology facilities and poor internet connectivity The majority of the institutions of higher education in Ethiopia do not make use of recent advances in technological development in their teaching and research activities. This is partly due to the fact that the ICT infrastructure is poorly developed in the country as a whole, the ICT facilities are relatively costly and the internet connectivity is poor. This is believed to have severely affected the smooth running of teaching and research activities in institutions of higher education in the country (Belay 2008; Ayalew et al. 2009). Experience from other 6. Student-centered teaching approaches are believed to help enhance students’ independent thinking, selfconfidence and social skills through among others: engaging and focusing students; activity based learning; using small groups in the classroom; competence based learning; and effective communication strategies.

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parts of the world reveals that in higher education institutions information technology is used in the areas of: digitization of documents, slides, photographs and videos; creation of course websites to meet faculty and student needs; web-based teaching tools; and computer-based teaching methods. The importance of ICT for the development of the country in general and the education sector in particular seems to have been understood by the policymakers and in recent years concerted efforts have been made to develop and expand the ICT infrastructure.

Narrowly-focused programs of study It is increasingly recognized that in addition to courses pertaining to their areas of specialization, students of AIHE must take some important interdisciplinary courses which would help them understand the broad principles of agricultural production and rural development and would eventually prepare them in the best possible manner for the world of work. Some of the frequently suggested cross-cutting themes that all students of the AIHE must be exposed to include basic leadership development skills, interpersonal communication skills, agribusiness and marketing, demographic challenges, environmental protection, the empowerment of women, gender issues, sustainable development, participatory approaches to rural development, the role of indigenous knowledge systems, food security, computer literacy, and the effects of HIV/AIDS on the agricultural sector (Mwangi et al. 2005; Belay and Ferdu 2008). Available evidence shows that at present in the Ethiopian AIHE only very few of the aforementioned issues are addressed through interdisciplinary courses (Davis et al. 2007; Belay et al. 2010b).

Teaching programs with little reference to the Ethiopian conditions As mentioned earlier, standard textbooks and/or teaching materials relevant to the Ethiopian conditions are lacking for many of the courses in the AIHE. The absence of teaching materials which are relevant to Ethiopia, coupled with limited circulation of the results of the different research projects undertaken in the country, have led to the utilization of western and mostly theoretical textbooks and reference materials. This has resulted in students not being exposed to the objective realities of their country and having little comprehension of the root causes of its backwardness, an awareness of which is required for economic development to take place in Ethiopia (Davis et al. 2007; Ayalew et al. 2009).

Weak inter-institutional linkage The majority of the institutions of higher learning in Ethiopia today can be qualified as being introvert because of the weak relationships they maintain with sister institutions and other organizations (Belay and Ferdu 2008; Belay et al. 2010b). Consequently, this has seriously affected the inter-institutional ties. In order to correct these drawbacks it is essential that institutions of higher education establish strong and firm linkages among themselves and 67

also work in close collaboration with local or foreign academic and research institutions and development organization in terms of exchange of professional (educational and research) information; staff exchange and sharing; collaboration in research work; effective use of financial and material assistance; participation in curriculum development etc.

Weak connection with other parts of the agricultural education system The current agricultural education system in the country consists of disconnected programs/ training tracks leading towards different diplomas and professional careers (AIHE, ATVET and FTC). The institutions that offer these programs are under the control of different ministries and there is no or only little cooperation and communication among themselves (Davis et al. 2007; Belay 2008). It is, therefore, advisable to move towards more integrated agricultural training programs and institutional framework through which graduates of the lower training tracks would have access to join and pursue their studies at higher training tracks, if they so wish. Such an approach is also believed to enable the various levels of agricultural education and training to play complementary and reinforcing roles in order to meet the objectives of sustainable economic development, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and food security at national, regional, local and household levels.

Lack of communication with key stakeholders Regular contact with key stakeholders (policymakers, employers and former graduates) and periodic tracer studies are essential elements that help identify the strengths and weaknesses of training programs. Strong linkages with key stakeholders also help to recognize changes in the external environment and improve the quality and relevance of the programs. At present, the AIHE in the country are not proactive in terms of adapting in response to changing needs and realities in the external environment as well as maintaining strong linkages with key stakeholders (Davis et al. 2007; Belay 2008; Belay et al. 2010b).

Future challenges for Agricultural Institutions of Higher Education A closer look at the agricultural higher education system in Ethiopia reveals that most of the agricultural curricula have not been adjusted to the new requirements and demands for trained manpower in agriculture. Moreover, students of agriculture are given heavy doses of theory, without any exposure to real-life agricultural problems and environments similar to those they face after graduation. This is believed to have resulted in producing graduates who lack technical competence and professional confidence to work in the complex and changing rural environment (Aregay 2004; Mashilla et al. 2005; Belay 2008). However, the demand for greater educational relevance and better-trained graduates has never been greater.

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At present, there is an agreement in the literature that the fundamental challenge facing the higher education system in Ethiopia is to transform itself in view of adapting to the ever changing external environment (Aregay 2004; Teshome 2004; World Bank 2004; Belay 2008; Belay et al. 2010b). In this regard, the importance of reforming and strengthening the agricultural higher education system is placed high in the agenda of the overall efforts to reform the higher education sector. Recent studies on Ethiopian higher education system found that traditional agricultural higher education failed to respond to the labour market requirements and current rural realities due to lack of relevance of the curriculum, which is no longer able to produce graduates who have many of the essential capabilities needed to contribute to a changing agricultural sector (Aregay 2004; Mashilla et al. 2005; Belay 2008). The issue of employability of graduates is compounded by the fact that key stakeholders have little direct influence over the design of the curricula and its delivery. It is therefore incumbent upon the AIHE to implement curricular reform measures, adopt student-centred creative learning strategies, work very closely with key stakeholders in the agricultural sector, and introduce more practical elements into study programs so as to be able to produce graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required for promoting sustainable agricultural and rural development. It is also important that AIHE pay due attention to the need for rationalizing their programs of study (opening new programs of study and phasing out existing programs) based on the demand for graduates in the labour market.

Case study of a success story: the mid-career BSc program in rural development and agricultural extension This section examines the experience of Haramaya University in launching and successfully running an innovative mid-career BSc degree program in rural development and agricultural extension. Haramaya University, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Sasakawa Africa Association, launched this program in February 1997. The program was launched with a participatory exercise that involved all key stakeholders, including public authorities, policymakers, employers (government, non-governmental organizations and private sector) as well as university officials and instructors. The objective of this innovative training program is to upgrade the technical and human relation skills of experienced mid-career extension staff working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Regional Bureaus of Agriculture and Rural Development and non-governmental organizations engaged in agricultural and rural development. In this program, mid-career extension workers with diploma level training in agriculture and related fields are admitted and trained for two and half years, during which they take professional courses and receive hands-on practical training designed to upgrade their skills, knowledge 69

and qualification. The program is believed to prepare adequately the participants to deal with complex agricultural problems. The distinguishing features of this program include: demanddriven curriculum development process (consensus among key stakeholders about the structure and the content’s balance between theory and practice); dynamic interplay between theoretical and practical components; partnerships among institutions and agencies involved in the midcareer program (these partnerships are important for resource mobilization, monitoring and supervision of students’ projects and ensuring the sustainability of the program); and emphasis on helping learners to be reflective practitioners and to view learning as a process not limited only to outside experts. One of the innovative aspects of the mid-career program at Haramaya University is the independent field-based projects called the Supervised Enterprise Projects (SEPs), which are small action researches with an intervention objective and a learning objective that students plan and execute as a requirement for the completion of their study. The principal objective of the SEPs is to narrow the gap between theory and practice and to develop the students’ ability to identify problems and explore practical ways to solve them. More precisely, students are required to design an action research, based on prioritization of location specific problems (Belay and Ferdu 2008). At Haramaya University, SEPs are organized in two phases. Preparations for SEPs begin with the offering of the course ‘Introduction to SEPs’ at the second semester of the first year. During the first phase, which takes place at the end of the first year, each student goes back to their work areas to conduct an assessment of farmers’ technology extension needs in a participatory manner using PRA tools and prioritize the problems with the help of the community. Based on the location specific needs assessment, each student prepares a project proposal. SEP proposals are being scrutinized on the campus, when the students present them in the annual mid-career workshop, attended by the university community (people from different areas of specialization) and other stakeholders. The second phase of SEPs takes place after the completion of three semesters of study on campus. During the second phase, students return to their respective work areas to implement their projects independently over a period of eight months, during which they are being supervised by university staff and local supervisors. The SEPs focus on equipping the candidates with knowledge and experience in participatory diagnostic tools and methodologies. This experiential learning component has been appreciated by the graduates, instructors and employers and being reflected in the graduates’ performance, confidence and professionalism (Mwangi et al. 2005). The mid-career BSc degree program at Haramaya University has made contribution to the agricultural sector principally through upgrading the technical and human relations skills of experienced mid-career extension staff working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional

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Bureaus of Agriculture and non-governmental organizations engaged in agricultural and rural development. So far, 331 students (50 females and 281 males) graduated from the program. An external evaluation of the program revealed that employers rated the professional knowledge and skills of the graduates highly and expressed full satisfaction with their job performance (Mwangi et al. 2005). The report noted further that the feedback from employers pointed to the fact that the training had greatly improved the graduates’ professional competence, selfconfidence and communication skills. A recent tracer study of the Haramaya University mid-career BSc graduates by Belay and Ferdu (2008) listed out a number of desirable traits of the program that ensure its relevance and responsiveness to the demand for agricultural extension professionals. The tracer study in question underlined also that the continuous interaction among the stakeholders, i.e. faculty members of Haramaya University, experts of regional bureaus and, more importantly, farmers has helped to ensure that the curriculum of the program is dynamic and relevant to the reality on the ground. Moreover, the regular contacts among key stakeholders serve as a conduit for exchange of ideas, personal experiences, and emerging trends in rural development and agricultural extension. The special nature of the program enables to use various forms of media to present their project proposals and reports. This is believed to help improve students’ presentation skills and communication styles, two crucial skills important in the workplace. There is now an agreement among the faculty members at Haramaya University that the program has given the university experience and confidence in running tailor-made, flexible, and practically oriented programs. More precisely, the program has given the university staff the opportunity to interact with adult students and to handle courses in a participatory and experiential manner. It is also important to note that the program, particularly the SEPs, created opportunities for faculty members to get out of their ‘ivory tower’ and to appreciate and learn a great deal about indigenous knowledge systems and different rural livelihood systems. Moreover, the program has brought the university closer to the policymakers at federal and regional levels than ever before. This enhanced interaction between the university and the stakeholders coupled with the effectiveness of the program have greatly improved the image of the university and increased willingness of the policymakers to render more support to the program. Both the external evaluation and the tracer study underlined that the mid-career BSc degree program in rural development and agricultural extension could serve as a model for other AIHE in their endeavour to launch new programs and/or overhaul existing programs (Mwangi et al. 2005; Belay and Ferdu 2008).

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Conclusion Over the past 20 years, AIHE in developing countries have been under increasing pressure from governments and donors to reform the traditional disciplinary system, that focused on agricultural production and productivity, and embrace more market-oriented, demanddriven multidisciplinary systems approach, taking into account the complex requirements of agriculture and rural development as well as the changing needs and realities in the face of globalization. In light of the many and varied challenges facing the AIHE, their response must be to go beyond the traditional ways of imparting too much theoretical knowledge and produce competent and confident graduates with entrepreneurial skills and abilities to deal with the wider problems of rural development. It is also increasingly clear that, in Ethiopia, in recent years, AIHE, like all institutions of higher education in the country, have been under pressure to enrol more students than could be effectively served. The surging number of students in AIHE, in the face of insufficient resources, is believed to have led to a decline in the quality of education (Aregay 2004; Belay 2008). Shortage of highly qualified and experienced instructors, insufficient attention being given to research/knowledge creation and practical training, lack/shortage of teaching materials which are pertinent to the agricultural situation of Ethiopia, as well as teaching methods and curricula that have not been adjusted to the new requirements and demands for trained manpower in agriculture have made the situation worse. It is also gratifying to note that since almost three years now, AIHE have been undertaking curriculum revisions for greater relevance and reorientation towards the knowledge, skills and attitude demanded by the changing labour market environment. It is, however, important to note that curriculum revision is only half the task; the other and most important task is to see to it that all the necessary inputs are made available, the mode of delivery is student-centred and students get hands-on practical training that would prepare them for the world of work. In this respect, the focus of learning in AIHE must shift from acquiring a particular body of knowledge to that of developing the skills for acquiring new knowledge and the capacity for using knowledge. With respect to research activities of AIHE, it is imperative that they direct their research attentions to problems of local relevance and define their research agenda through interaction with all relevant stakeholders if they want their research efforts to mean anything at all to the society in which they are embedded.

References Abate, T. 2006. Focusing Agricultural Research to Address Development Needs: the Way I See It. In: Abate, T. (ed), Successes with Value Chain, Proceedings of Scaling up and Scaling out Agricultural Technologies in Ethiopia: an International Conference, 9-11 May 2006. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1-20.

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Aregay, W. 2004. Country Report: The Case of Ethiopia. In: Sundstøl, F. (ed), Poverty Reduction Strategies and Relevant Participatory Learning Processes in Agricultural Higher Education: Case studies from Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda, Noragric, Centre for International Environment and Development Studies, Agricultural University of Norway, Noragric Report No. 21A, Norway, 11-26. Ayalew, S., Dawit, M., Tesfaye, S. and Yalew, E. 2009. Assessment of Science Education Quality Indicators in Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar and Hawassa Universities. In: FSS (Forum for Social Studies) Quality of Higher Education in Ethiopian Public Institutions, Forum for Social Studies, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 161-263. Belay, K. 2005. Towards a Quality-driven, Student-Centred and Entrepreneurial Higher Education Institutions in Ethiopia. Paper presented at the kick-off conference on Leadership, Management and Good Governance in Ethiopian Higher Education System: Challenges and Implications, Debub University, Awassa, April 15. Belay, K. 2008. Linkage of Higher Education with Agricultural Research, Extension and Development in Ethiopia. Higher Education Policy. 21(1): 275-299. Belay, K. and Ferdu, A. 2008. Case Study of Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE) Program at Haramaya University, SAFE, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Belay, K., Fekadu, B. and Abebaw, B. 2010a. Policy Brief on Funding Formula for Higher Education in Ethiopia, Higher Education Strategy Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Belay K., Ranjan S. K. and Samson, E. 2010b. Impact Assessment of the Mid-career Program at Haramaya University, Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Brannon, L.H. 1966. Our Ethiopian Adventure, Remarks Addressed to a Banquet Audience During the Annual Ethiopia Day on the Oklahoma State University. Byerlee, D., Spielman, D.J. and Alemu, D. 2007. Policies to Promote Cereal Intensification in Ethiopia: A Review of Evidence and Experience. International Food Policy Research Institute Discussion Paper 00707. Washington, DC, USA: IFPRI. Davis, C., Ekboir, J., Mekasha, W., Ochieng, C.M.O., Spielman, D.J. and Zerfu, E. 2007. Strengthening Agricultural Education and Training in Sub-Saharan Africa from an Innovative Systems Perspective: Case Studies of Ethiopia and Mozambique. Washington, DC, USA, IFPRI. Dercon, S., Hill, R.V. and Zeitin, A. 2009. In Search of a Strategy: Rethinking Agriculture-led Growth in Ethiopia, Synthesis Paper prepared as part of a study on Agriculture and Growth in Ethiopia, University of Oxford, UK. EIAR (Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research). 2007. The Contribution of Agricultural Research in the Eve of the Ethiopian Millennium (in Amharic), Mimeograph, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. FDRE (The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia). 1999. Agricultural Research and Training Project: Ethiopian Research-Extension-Farmer Linkages Strategy, vol. I, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. FDRE (The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia). 2010. A Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development to End Poverty (2010/11-2015/16) (PASDEP II, Draft), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Gill, P. 2010. Famine and Foreigners: Ethiopia since Live Aid, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Government of Ethiopia, UN Agencies and Humanitarian Partners, Joint Humanitarian Requirements Document (several issues), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Mashilla, D., Getachew, F., Mengistu, W.H. and Tessema, Z. 2005. A Report on the Visit to Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) Colleges in Ethiopia: Gathering Supportive Information for Curriculum Review, Alemaya University. MoFED (Ministry of Finance and Economic Development). 2008. Dynamics of Growth and Poverty in Ethiopia (1995/96-2004/05), Development Planning and Research Department, MoFED, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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Mwangi, J.G., Chibwana, C. and Ferdu, A. 2005. Report of an External Evaluation of the B.Sc. Programme for Mid-career Extension Professionals at Alemaya University, Ethiopia. OSU (Oklahoma State University). 1969. Oklahoma State University in Ethiopia: Terminal Report 19521968, Stillwater, Oklahoma: Oklahoma State University, USA. Siegenthaler, I.E. 1965. An Evaluation of the Jimma Agricultural Technical School Programme, Jimma, Ethiopia, Based upon a Study of Jimma Graduates, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. Teshome, Y. 2004. The Status and Challenges of Ethiopian Higher Education System and its Contribution to Development, The Ethiopian Journal of Higher Education. 1(1): 1-19. World Bank. 2004. Higher Education Development for Ethiopia: Pursuing the Vision, Africa Region Human Development Working Paper Series No. 65. Washington, DC, USA: The World Bank.

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Role of agricultural institutions of higher learning in producing the next generation agricultural leaders in Ethiopia Slide 1 Role of agricultural institutions of higher learning in producing the next generation agricultural leaders in Ethiopia Belay Kassa Haramaya University

Slide 2

Outline of the presentation      

Premises Agricultural education system Current situation in Ethiopian AIHE Achievements Opportunities Requirements for AIHE to become relevant to development

 Conclusion

Slide 3

’Universities play a crucial role in generating new ideas, and in accumulating and transmitting knowledge and yet they have remained peripheral to development concerns’ International Institute for Education Planning (2007), Newsletter 25 (1), January–March

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Slide 4

Premises  Education is the key to unlocking Ethiopia’s development potential

 Public higher education institutions are a major source for providing highly skilled professionals to staff GOs, NGOs, and private sector

 Higher education has a significant pay-off both for individuals and society

Slide 5

Premises cont’d…  The public sector will continue to be the major provider of agricultural education/research/ extension services in the foreseeable future

 The public agricultural higher education system can be overhauled to become more efficient and relevant to development

Slide 6

Current situation in Ethiopian AIHE  Most university teaching consists of didactic lecturing/exclusive use of rote memory and procedural mimicry (remote from practical needs of society)

 Serious lack of problem-solving skills (practical training acquired by graduates of AIHE is inadequate and cannot prepare them for the responsibilities they would assume after graduation)

 Teaching programs with little reference to the Ethiopian conditions (curricula not relevant to local needs)

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Slide 7

The current situation (cont’d)  Insufficient number of qualified and experienced   

Slide 8

academics which is compounded by high staff turnover The current staffing situation in all AIHE raises serious concerns related to the quality of research work and teaching Insufficient attention given to research/knowledge creation Many staff members have no formal training in pedagogy

The current situation (cont’d)  Fragmentation of curricula based on disciplines (difficult to build holistic view)

 Lack of communication with key stakeholders  Weak inter-institutional linkage  Strict input control, inadequate internal quality assurance mechanisms, and absence of external quality controls/quality of output/?

 Exclusive or near-exclusive reliance of public AIHE on government funding

 Little or no entrepreneurial drive

Slide 9

The current situation (cont’d)  Research projects in AIHE have often addressed

 

topics of personal interest (with the goal of publishing results) and have been found to be less relevant to the basic and urgent needs of poor farmers Quite often farmers have not been encouraged to take part in the identification of research problems Researchers have paid little regard to the farmers’ opinions, attitudes, customs, practices and priorities

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Slide 10

The current situation (cont’d) 

Limited interactions between AIHE and the different components of the NARS In most of the institutions of higher learning in the country research undertaking is not considered as a mandatory activity There is little/no recognition for research undertaking in institutions of higher learning In almost all the emerging universities, the research wing exists in name only

  

Slide 11

The current situation (cont’d)  Weak connection with other parts of the agricultural education system

Slide 12



The agricultural education system in the country consists of disconnected training tracks leading towards different diplomas and professional careers



The institutions that offer these programs are under the control of different ministries and there is no or only little co-operation and communication among themselves

Achievements  Graduates of the AIHE have been serving the country





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as extension agents, development workers, subject matter specialists, teachers, researchers, experts, heads of different organizations, consultants, Ministers etc. Given the fact that there has been no tracer study in the country, it is very difficult to quantify the real contribution of graduates in agriculture and related fields to economic development However, one can safely say that AIHE have been contributing positively to the national development efforts because in their absence there would not have been the progress achieved so far

Achievements (cont’d)

Slide 13

 For instance, over the 1960–2009 period, 8 of the 18



Ministers and 13 of the 20 Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were graduates from Haramaya University Similarly, in the 1966–2009 period, 9 of the 11 General Managers/Director Generals and 7 of the 8 Deputy General Managers/Deputy Director Generals of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (former IAR), were graduates from Haramaya University

Slide 14

Achievements (cont’d)  A closer look into the research performance of the



AIHE reveals that, thus far, they have developed and released 130 crop varieties and 16 different technologies Of the 130 crop varieties and 16 technologies produced and released by the AIHE, 125 crop varieties and all of the 16 technologies were accounted for by Harmaya University and the remaining 5 crop varieties by the Hawassa University

Slide 15

Opportunities  Existence of strong government commitment to support the agricultural sector

 Need to build and strengthen human resource



development capacity of AIHE to meet the everincreasing demand for agricultural professionals has been given high priority and support by the current government Demand for agricultural professionals has been showing an increasing trend mainly due to the expansion of commercial farms in different parts of the country (flower industry, horticulture industry, biofuel production etc.)

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Requirements for AIHE to become relevant to development

Slide 16

 IHE are required to be open, flexible and capable of





Slide 17

efficiently adapting to changes in the wider external environment (in terms of producing graduates in response to the changing needs of the society/ensuring the marketability of skills) Making the curricula more relevant and responsive to the country’s trained manpower needs both in quality and quantity (with due emphasis on practical training and ethical values and principles) AIHE should be proactive and must respond quickly enough to the demands expressed by the everdiversifying clientele

Requirements (cont’d)  AIHE need to rationalize their programs of study

 

Slide 18

based on the demand for graduates in the labour market, if they are to survive in the increasingly competitive environment There is a need to move away from the traditional ‘chalk and talk’ approach to a pragmatic and student-centred approach to education Engaging students in active analytical thinking, brainstorming, creative activity or the defence of their opinion and thereby enabling them become active knowledge workers rather than passive knowledge recipients

Requirements (cont’d)  In recent years, public IHE are required to reduce 



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their dependency on government funding and become entrepreneurial Integration of entrepreneurial culture in the AIHE, through, among others, revenue diversification, rationalizing programs, commercializing intellectual property, cost recovery, and removing inefficiencies Integration of entrepreneurial culture in AIHE would provide undeniable benefits, to the AIHE themselves, to students, to agriculture, industry and commerce, and to society as a whole

Slide 19

Requirements (cont’d)  AIHE must go beyond the traditional ways of

imparting too much theoretical knowledge and produce competent and confident graduates with entrepreneurial skills and abilities to deal with the wider problems of rural development They need to give adequate attention to research / Knowledge creation must be high in the agenda of IHE Maintaining strong and firm linkages with key stakeholders should be pursued as a strategy to keep the curricula up to date and improve the quality and relevance of the training programs Embracing the idea of ‘brain circulation’ to overcome the shortage of highly qualified and experienced professionals

  

Slide 20

Conclusion 

Empirical evidence from other parts of the world indicates that higher education contributes significantly to a reduction in poverty Ethiopian public AIHE must transform themselves to be more innovative and relevant to development Systemic thinking that allows integration of disciplines and knowledge is the order of the day Existing (‘old’) universities must take the lead in embedding a research culture in their system There is a need to provide strong support to research work by AIHE

   

Slide 21

Conclusion (cont’d)  IHE must develop partnerships and forge closer 



ties with key stakeholders if they are to survive in the increasingly competitive environment Establishing strong and firm linkages with other components of the NARS and the agricultural education system should be pursued as a strategy Concerted efforts must be made to lure young and outstanding professionals into the higher education system and retain experienced teaching and research staff

81

Role of agricultural research in accelerating agricultural development in Ethiopia Solomon Assefa (PhD) Director General Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) The economic development policy of Ethiopia has given the highest priority to agriculture under the aegis of agriculture-led industrial development policy in order to realize rapid and sustainable economic development in the country. Through successful implementation of this policy, the country has registered fast and continuous double-digit economic growth for the past six consecutive years. In an effort to raise the productivity and competitiveness of the agriculture sector, the Ethiopian Agricultural Research System (EARS) is given the responsibility for adapting, generating and improving demand-driven technologies that will fulfil the current and long-term agricultural requirements of the country. Over the past years, Ethiopia’s investments in agricultural research and development (R&D) have generated several improved technologies of crops, livestock and natural resources. Recent innovative efforts to promote these proven technologies through partnership with all relevant key actors in the value chain—farmers, extension agents, input suppliers, local administration, agro-industry, and import/export firms—clearly demonstrated that smallholder farmers increased their yields and outputs by more than two- to threefold and beyond. These experiences have also shown that technological and commercial transformations significantly benefited smallholders to increase their incomes, improve food and nutritional security, help them escape from persistent poverty traps, and make capital investments to ensure long-term improvements in their livelihoods. Accelerating the pace of the recently registered on-going economic growth in the agricultural sector for the coming years calls for a sense of urgency for agricultural research to become more demand-driven, cost-effective and emphatically geared towards making impact on solving hunger, poverty, climate change and natural resource degradation. In this respect, EARS must firmly embrace the on-going institutional transformation with a complete attitudinal change and a paradigm shift in approach to agricultural research for development by taking quick and concrete steps for a radical departure from its past tradition to learn a new way of doing things, sharply focusing on customers’ needs.

82

Role of agricultural research in accelerating agricultural development in Ethiopia Slide 1

Focusing agricultural research to address development needs of Ethiopia Dr Solomon Assefa Director General Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)

Slide 2

Outline     

Slide 3

General background Challenges and research priorities Milestones Strategic objectives The next steps

African vision by AU/NEPAD  Regional agricultural production to grow at an annual rate of 6% by 2015

 Achieved through:  Dynamic agricultural markets among nations and between regions Be a net exporter of agricultural products

  Have food available, affordable, and equitable distribution of wealth

 Be a strategic player in agricultural S&T development

 Have a culture of sustainable use of natural resource base

83

Slide 4

Future trends in agricultural production Sustainable agricultural intensification Projected sources of agricultural growth 80%

20% Agriculture intensification Others Source: FAO 2002 World agriculture: Towards 2015/30. http://www.fao.org/es/ESD/gstudies.htm

Slide 5

Importance of agriculture  It contributes 40–50%  

of the GDP Generates 90% of foreign currency Employs 85% of the total population

30 25 20 15 10 5 0

2005

2006

2007

2008

AGDP GDP

Slide 6

The resources base? × 1000 ha ral cultu Agri 9 6 3 1 ,7 Cultivated 11,769

Ot 38 hers ,1 8 4 Fore woo st and 13,3 dland 00

84

Pasture 20,000

Slide 7

Rich genetic diversity   

Niger seed (Gyzotia abyssinica) Tef (Eragrostis tef) Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata)

Centre of diversity  Durum wheat  Barley  Sorghum  Finger millet  Linseed  Faba bean  Field pea  Chick pea  Lentil,  Fenugreek  Grasspea

Slide 8

Agro-ecologies

Slide 9

The resource base? Facts today:  Despite these potential resources, agricultural production and productivity are among the lowest !!!!

85

Slide 10

Challenges

Slide 11

Challenges….  Climatic extremes with varying magnitude, complexity, and

 

economic impact are a common feature, particularly in semi-arid areas  Climate change is not any more a distant worry in Ethiopia—it is real, it is happening Climate variability as it has been, will continue to be the major cause of rural poverty The risk associated with rainfall variability makes smallscale farmers reluctant to adopt improved technologies that could raise their incomes and lift them out of poverty

Slide 12

Challenges  Climate change is not any more a distant worry in Ethiopia—it is real, it is happening

 The challenge of adapting agriculture to climate



86

change is not only of ensuring crop production to improved food security:  but is also a task of maintaining our soil and water resources while at the same time protecting environment and biodiversity The poorest are hardest hit due to:  low incomes, low institutional capacity and greater reliance  on climate-sensitive sectors, e.g. agriculture, and natural assets

Slide 13

Constraints 

Agricultural constraints, among others, include:  Degraded agricultural land  Soil acidity, alkaline and salinity problems  Low productivity of crop and livestock  Plant and animal diseases  Post harvest handling  Climate change

Slide 14

Government commitment 

Slide 15

The Ethiopian Government is committed to reverse this situation more than ever with clear vision, policy directions and strategies

Agricultural policies, strategies and targets towards nation’s vision       

Agricultural led-industrialization Rural development policy and strategy Research policy Seed policy Biodiversity policy Environment protection Plan for accelerated and sustainable development to end poverty (PASDEP) targets

87

Slide 16

PASDEP—Production target Commodity

Production (1000 MT) 2010

Cereals

12,862

32,810

Pulses

1500

2650

77

Oil crops

490

1100

124

Coffee

320

416

30

Spices

83

210

154

155

Meat

566

837

48

Milk

1831

3391

85

Eggs

20

25

25

Fish

10

27

170

Honey

38

99

159

Beeswax

3

6

94

Dry cocoon

1

30

4186

Slide 17

PASDEP—Export target Commodity

Export (1000 MT)

Fold increase

2005

2010

Oilseeds

141

326

2.31

Coffee

160

323

2.02

Pulses

119

294

2.47

Fruits and vegetables

39

136

3.44

Cereals

18

62

3.45

Spices

11

20

1.80

Cotton

2

8

5.35

Tea

2

6

3.65

Meat

8

62

7.75

Slide 18

Agricultural research in Ethiopia    

88

Percent increase

2005

Research started some five decades ago EIAR formally established in 1966 Research decentralization since 1998 Entities of NARS (55 research centres)  Federal  Regional (7 RARIs)  HLIs

Slide 19

NARS mandate    

Technology adaptation and development Technology popularization Research coordination and capacity building Networking with partner institutions

Slide 20

Research priorities       

Based on GOE development plan: Major criteria Market opportunities Food security Contribution to natural resources conservation Research impact Sense of urgency

Slide 21

Research priorities Category

Commodity

Crops Cereals

Wheat, maize, tef, sorghum, rice

Oilseeds

Sesame, noug, safflower, rapeseed

Pulses

Chickpea, lentil, faba bean, soybean, haricot bean

Spices

Ginger, cardamom, black pepper, garlic, cumin

Industrial

Coffee, tea, cotton

Fruits

Mango, avocado, pineapple, banana

Vegetables

Capsicum, green beans, onion, tomato

Roots and tubers

Potato, sweet potato, Enset, cassava

Medicinal and bioenergy

Medicinal and bio-energy crops

89

Slide 22

Priorities Category

Commodity

Livestock

Meat and poultry (beef, sheep, goat, poultry) Feeds (nutrition, forage and pasture) Milk and animal power (dairy, animal power) Fisheries and aquaculture (fisheries, aquaculture and limnologies) Apiculture and sericulture

Forestry

Plantation, farm and natural forestry Non-timber products Timber, panel and fibre products

Slide 23

Some milestones Topic

Period

Outcomes

Over 523 crop varieties released

1966–2009

Farmers using improved varieties and technologies

Identification of CBD resistant lines

1970s

Possible crisis averted

Introduction of BBM technology

1980s

Introduction of local maize hybrid

1990s

Implementation of IPM technologies in wheat

2000s

Slide 24

Industry survived Vertisol reclaimed More land availed Increased yields Vindication of research Collapse of industry averted

Some milestones  26 improved soil and water management technologies

 86 technologies for improved livestock production and productivity

 38 tree types are identified for economic importance,  

90

improved production and management techniques are developed for 23 indigenous tree types Socio-economic studies for different farming systems, adoption and impact studies and others have been conducted Improved ploughing, weeding and planting implements

Slide 25 100

Figure 1. Mean yield performance of improved vs. local varieties Improved farmers field National average

95

Research potential 70

70

60t/ha 45 35 29 18

Slide 27

24

1.3

Wheat

Slide 26

22

Sorghum

13

Maize

Teff

Wheat technologies in Ethiopia Variety

Year of release

Altitude (masl)

Plant height (cm)

Days to maturity

Yield (t/ha)

Pavon-76

1982

750–2500

90–100

120–135

6.0

Kubsa

1994

2000–2600

90–100

100–125

7.0

Galema

1995

2200–2800

100–125

128–131

6.5

Tusie

1997

2000–2500

125–130

125–130

6.5

Tura

1999

2200–2800

120–150

120–150

5.5

Ketar

1999

2000–2400

110–134

110–134

6.0

Shina

1999

2800–2500

100–120

100–120

6.5

Simba

2000

200–2600

100–150

Hawi

2000

1800–2200

105–125

HAR 1480

2000

2300–2800

100–125

Sofumar

2000

2300–2800

125–150

125–150

4.5

Sirbo

2001

2200–2800

85–105

85–105

6.0

KBG-01

2001

2000–2400

80–100

80–100

6.5

Bobicho

2002

1800–2800

95–105

95–105

6.0

Meraro

2004

1800–2800

110–120

110–120

6.5

Digelu

2004

2000–2600

100–120

100–120

4.0

Millennium

2007

2000–2400

90–120

90–120

5.0

Productivity 100–150 5.0 wheat 45–60 4.0 105–125 qt/ha 100–125 5.0

Pasta quality differences!!! Pasta yellowness, thickness

91

Slide 28

Productivity Wheat 40–60 qt/ha

Slide 29

Maize 70–80 qt/ha

Slide 30

Rice technology in Ethiopia      

92

Recently introduced but rapidly expanding crop Ethiopia’s share: 90,446 ha Improved varieties: 9 Yield potential: up to 6.5 t/ha with recommended practices Adaptability range: Rainfed (1750–2800 masl Irrigated

Slide 31

Sorghum technology in Ethiopia  Areas of production: 1.6 millions hectares  Improved varieties: 14  Yield potential: up to 6.3 t/ha with recommended 

Slide 32

practices Adaptability range: Rainfed (1750–2800 masl) Irrigated

Released sorghum varieties in Ethiopia Variety

Days to maturity

Plant height (cm)

Yield (t/ha)

Alemaya-70

175–190

250–384

5.5

ETS 2752

175–190

234–285

5.5

Chero

175–190

185–275

5.8

Chelenko-1176

181–207

250–410

6.3

IS 9302

150–180

100–180

6.0

Birmash

150–180

131–233

6.9

Baji

150–180

139–180

5.6

Gambela 1107

110–130

120–200

5.0

76 T1 No. 23

90–100

120–140

4.5

Seredo

100–120

110–140

4.5

Meko-1

90–120

132–169

4.9

Teshale



190–200

5.0

Gubeye

90–120

110–140

2.7

Abeshir





2.4

Slide 33

93

Slide 34

Food barley production in Ethiopia  Areas of production: 1 million hectares  Improved varieties: 8  Yield potential: up to 4.08 t/ha with recommended practices

 Adaptability range: Rainfed (1750–2800 masl) Irrigated

Slide 35

Figure 2. Mean yield performance of improved vs. local varieties 45 40

38

37 30

25

25

25

10

8

9

5

Chickpea

Haricot Improved

Slide 36

Faba bean

bean

Lentil

Local

Haricot bean production in Ethiopia  Areas of production: >250,000 ha  Improved varieties: >8  Yield potential: up to 3.8 t/ha with recommended practices

 Adaptability range: Rainfed (1750–2800 masl) Irrigated

94

Slide 37

Slide 38

Haricot bean production in Ethiopia

Released soya bean varieties in Ethiopia Variety

Days to maturity

Yield (t/ha)

Hawassa-95

90–120

2.6

Belesa-95

134–169

3.0

Jalale

120

2.2

Cheri

135

2.5

121–150

2.5

Clark 63K

Slide 39

Productivity Faba bean 25–35 qt/ha

95

Slide 40

Chickpea production in Ethiopia     

Areas of production: >240,000 ha Improved varieties: 10 Yield potential: up to 4.8 t/ha with recommended practices Adaptability range: Rainfed (1750–2800 masl) Irrigated

Slide 41

Productivity Chickpea 22–35 qt/ha

Slide 42

Productivity Lentil 22–35 qt/ha

96

Slide 43

Productivity Lentil 22–35 q/ha

Slide 44 100 99 98 97 96 95 94 92 90

Performance of improved technologies in farmers’ fields 3.5 t/ha

2.9

24

1.0

1.2

30

12

1.3 Wheat

20 10

Sorghum

Maize

Tef

Figure 1. Mean yield performance of improved vs. local varieties in farmers’ fields

0 Onion yield (kg/ha)

44 42 41 3 3

2.5 t/ha

Local

1

9

Chickpea

Haricot

5 Lentil

Improved

25

bean

Figure 2. Mean yield performance of improved vs. local varieties in farmers’ fields

Slide 45 Performance of improved technologies in farmers’ fields 4

Local

3

3.5 t/ha

3.1

2

2.9 1.2 0

D. wheat

1.3

Sorghum

1.0

Millet

Figure 1. Mean yield performance of improved vs. local varieties in farmers’ fields

3

3.0 2.5 t/ha

Improved Local

2.4

1.0

0.9

0.5 Lentil Chickpea

Haricot bean

Figure 2. Mean yield performance of improved vs. local varieties in farmers’ fields

97

Slide 46

Total annual area (ha) of land occupied by major cool-season food legumes in Ethiopia Table 1: Year

Faba bean

Chickpea

Lentil

Grasspea

Fenugreek

369,2

175,222

184,801

60,138

83,523

15,051

887,9

2003/04

381,9

211,564

154,281

52,062

82,713

17,133

899,8

2004/05

463,2

254,365

167,569

76,642

112,425

16,325

1,090,5

2005/06

456,9

233,087

201,010

84,895

123,464

11,845

1,111,3

2006/07

459,2

221,715

200,066

97,110

124,954

20,762

1,123,8

2007/08

520,5

211,798

226,785

107,42 8

147,172

38,310

1,252,1

41.0

20.9

22.7

76.2

154.5

41.0

78.6

Impact of potato technologies on farmers’ livelihoods

Slide 47 Table 2:

Year

Field pea

Chickpea

Lentil

2001/02

Faba bean 447,063

147,270

179,821

38,430

92,339

10,027

914,949

2003/04

426,892

170,365

135,930

35,275

78,955

12,454

859,870

2004/05

551,984

228,335

161,595

54,555

125,028

11,580

1,133,078

2005/06

512,797

182,268

210,585

57,603

145,945

7,484

1,116,682

2006/07

576,156

210,095

253,871

81,049

183,784

16,399

1,321,355

2007/08

688,667

231,934

286,820

94,103

185,490

29,352

1,516,366

% increase

47.3

57.5

59.5

144.9

100.9

192.7

65.7

Grass pea

Fenugree k

Total prod.

Table 4. Trend in the performance of pulse export (2005–2008) Year

Indicator

2005

2006

2007

2008

Chickpea

Amount (quintals)

65,252.4

221,273.83

438,909.28

415,927.60

239%

98%

–5%

27,216.16

28,419.69

15,059.05

5354%

4%

–47%

524,306.03

711,941.68

748,004.01

–17%

36%

5%

229,224.41

410,159.36

472,586.45

176%

79%

15%

6,279.68

96,060.92

108,132.39

–1%

1430%

13%

1,008,357.6

1,685,493.1

1,759,709.18

28%

67%

4%

% increase Fieldpea

Amount (quintals)

499.03

% increase Haricot beans

Amount (quintals)

633,633.7

% increase Faba bean

Amount (quintals)

83,095.05

% increase Lentil

Amount (quintals)

6,343.12

% increase Total

Amount (quintals) % increase

98

Total area

2001/02

% increase

Slide 48

Fieldpea

788,823.3

Performance of improved technologies on farmers’ fields

Slide 49

23 litre/day

16 litre/day

2 litre/day

2 litre/day

Improved dairy breeds vs. local

Farmers secured a net return of Birr 2470 from poultry production on 18 m2 of land

About 96% of the chicken survived to laying age, the overall mortality to 40 weeks of age was only 8%

Impact of durum wheat technologies on farmers’ livelihoods

Slide 50

7700 birr/ha

Income (birr/ha)

10000

9450 birr/ha

8000

II. Income 

6000

Added to the premium price (500 birr/t) set by Kaliti Food Complex for high quality grai,

2640

2640

4000 2000 0

Premium price

Market price

Figure 2. Impact of durum wheat technologies on farmers’ income and livelihood

Impact of potato technologies on farmers’ livelihoods

Slide 51 Income (birr/ha)

24,000

21,000 18,000 15,000 12,000 9000 6000 3000 0

Farmers income increased to 9450 birr/ha

20,250 birr/ha 9000

8100

5250 2400

Potato Improved

Sorghum Local

3000

Millet

Figure 3. Impact of improved technologies on farmers’ income and livelihood

Family with modern house 18000 15000

14,400 birr/ha

Improved 13,500

Local

12000 7500

9000 6000

3000

4000

3000

3000 0

Lentil

Chick pea Haricot bean

Figure 4. Impact of improved technologies on farmers’ income and livelihood

99

Slide 52 Blessings from improved technologies

From thatched to corrugated roofed-house

Investment in capital item

Family enjoy watching TV

got about 4000–5000 birr from Slide 53 Smallholder farmers 2

200–300 m plot of land (70–90 thousand birr/ha)

Slide 54

Blessings from improved technologies

100

Slide 55 Success factors for effective promotion of improved technologies      

Slide 56

Multi- and inter-disciplinary research team Demand-driven proven technologies Strong commitment and capacity of researchers Market orientation Identification of key stakeholders Supportive research management and organization

Strategic objective 1  To adapt and develop appropriate technologies that enhance productivity and quality  Export  Food security  Raw material for industry  Supplementary income generation

Slide 57

Strategic objective 2  To popularize and catalyse scaling up and scaling out improved technologies (value chain)  Effective partnership with all stakeholders important  Research, extension, farmers, FCUs, exporters, agro-industry, administration, foreign buyers, CG centres, NGOs, others

101

Slide 58

Strategic objective 3  To strengthen natural resources management research for increased sustainable production  Test-based fertilizer recommendations  Combating soil acidity problems  Combating soil salinity problems  Integrated watershed management  Small-scale irrigation  Forestry

Slide 59

Strategic objective 4  To strengthen coordination and promote partnerships  Strengthen regional research centres  Take leading role in influencing agricultural policy development

 Form strategic alliance with subregional and international organizations

Slide 60

Institutional transformation:

Key challenges in agricultural R&D to face the future

 How to make research responsive, flexible to stakeholder-derived agenda

 How to build impact-oriented and well-coordinated, innovative research system where all actors are active

 How to build, strengthen capacity for integrated interdisciplinary and participatory R4D

 How to be proactive to make things happen (end to end), and seize opportunities

102

Slide 61

Partnerships CGIAR

UN Systems NGOs

SROs

EIAR

ROs

Private sector

HLI NARS ..and more

Slide 62

Partnerships    

Germplasm exchange Experience and knowledge sharing Capacity building (short-term and long-term) Biotechnology

Slide 63

Thank you

103

Panel discussion Perspectives on food security challenges facing Africa and some initiatives of the African Union to promote agriculture and agricultural development in Africa Mrs Rhoda Peace Tumusiime Commissioner, Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission Agriculture in Africa is obviously not performing well. This is demonstrated by the fact that between 1979 and 2008 alone, investment in African agriculture went down by 600 percent, falling from 18 billion to 3 billion dollars. This has a critical impact not only on research but also on many other areas of development. Declining per capita production in agriculture leads to lowered adaption rate. This is particularly worrying given that the continent at this point in time needs to adapt to the challenges of climate change. It is fortunate that the African Union Commission has put in place a comprehensive agricultural program to be up to the challenge. It is also encouraging that Ethiopia and Malawi are already taking steps in the right direction. Increased investment in agriculture holds the key in the fight against poverty and in meeting African food security needs. Ethiopia, among others, has great hope of succeeding in the Green Revolution if it can focus especially on water and sustainable land management.

104

Perspective on the most important challenges to world and African agriculture and food security in the current and the coming decades Mr Mafa Chipeta Sub-Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) The soaring food price of the past few years, for all its disturbing effects, has also served as a trigger for action and great attention to worldwide agriculture. In the first place, abundance of food by itself does not directly translate into food security or into prosperity for all. Food abundance alone is not capable of solving governance issues, moral issues or fairness issues, which constrain larger numbers of people to remain hungry even in the midst of surpluses. The elements of access and equity yet remain to be addressed because of diversion of food to buy fuel. Besides, there is the problem of inability of the poor to access food. It is only five or six countries which currently account for something like 50–60% surplus of basic food. Despite all this, however, Africa indeed has the potential to become self-sufficient in food. The question is ‘will Africa do it?’ The answer is definitely ‘yes’ if Africa takes the responsibility for its own development in agriculture instead of relying on outside help. In the past three to four years alone, Africa’s agricultural import, of which 90 percent is food, consisted of basic food that grew from 25 billion to 33 billion dollars a year. Meanwhile, exports have stagnated at about 14–15 billion dollars per year. In light of this, a good future for food security and agriculture in Africa depends, among others, on increased productivity per hectare, adoption to climate change through protection of forests, creation of globally competitive market and, above all, local prioritization of investment and reliance on its own resources.

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Perspectives on research–extension–production and linkages with leadership, advocacy and accountability Dr Yilma Kebede Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Research–extension–production linkage is an important component both in public and private research institutions. It is inappropriate for any research institution to say it is good at one function but that it cannot give much attention to other function. Research experience in the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) shows, for example, that there is no way one can define a breeder as 100 percent breeder. A breeder has to be defined by how much he spent in extension, production and in assisting farmers. This makes the whole system a process rather than a function. Pondering the question, ‘what if the government closes EIAR tomorrow?‘ may serve as vital food for thought to see the importance of the research–extension–production linkage. The second important component of a research program is leadership and urgency. One cannot be everything to everybody. One has to concentrate where it makes sense and determine where to put the leverage in order to make any difference. Without this, projects get to be donordriven. It was noted during visits to various research programs that there are many disjoined activities, each of which is funded by different donors. Ideally a research program has to tell a story of having a beginning, a middle and an end. When visiting a research program, be it maize or sorghum, it is wise to find out whether it tells a story or whether it is bits and pieces, having no overall focus. To that end, it is necessary to develop leadership skills through training in order to come up with the right decisions or solutions. Simultaneously, leadership requires a sense of urgency. Leaders are expected to make decisions with limited data to move technology out to farmers. This is particularly true of agriculture, where farmers, unlike others in others in other professions, have only one chance, one season to make a difference. The third component pertains to advocacy and accountability. Advocacy is an important means to see one’s work. Agricultural researchers usually have two bosses—the farmer on one hand and the government on the other. Researchers need to serve the farmer by giving the right technology. Similarly, researchers need advocacy to convince the government that they are doing a good job that will change the lives of the farmers. In that way, the government, which is the benefactor, is motivated to fund projects further.

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Accountability is another important issue. In this particular case it determines the progress achieved. How is progress measured? Is it by the number of varieties or the amount of seeds produced? Certainly, these may have value or impact. However, unless some value are put in place to measure real progress, it is unrealistic to talk about impacts.

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Perspectives on the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security in Ethiopia Dr Carlos Seré Director General, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) The question of climate change is real and the broad scientific consensus around the world is very clear. It is going to be serious and it is responsible to think about and see how one addresses it. The drivers of change within our societies are facing serious changes of population increase, pressures in terms of emerging diseases and trade. Talking about climate change is really talking about the capacity of society and communities to respond and learn quickly. It is very clear that, in Africa, studies duly have been modelling and trying to down-scale the global model of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). There will be serious hotspots and there will be a lot of variability, and this is one of the big assets Ethiopia has with the diversity of agro-ecological zones. But very clearly the challenge is adaptation and this implies basically having to work much faster than researchers because the challenge is much bigger. So it is really an issue of presenting a diversity of options for farmers, materials which are draught tolerant, materials which will tolerate events like water logging etc. The overall effort is going to be adaptation, providing options. A very important component for this is obviously biodiversity and this again is an option in which Ethiopia has a particular privilege. This country has a huge biodiversity and the real challenge is cutting-edge science to really speed up the understanding of the biodiversity, to pick up the genes which will help us to rapidly develop. Very clearly, diversity of situations provides the opportunity that lessons learnt in one side which may be dry now may be valuable for locations which now are having higher rain but will become drier. So the message besides this is knowledge management. Knowledge sharing across locations both nationally and internationally is going to be a key element for a rapid response. This relates very much to empowering communities to do the solution, Africa and Ethiopia are extremely diverse. This is why the Green Revolution did not work as easily in Africa as in Asia. Climate change is going to exacerbate that and the only way to respond is by really empowering people at a local level to find their own solutions. Science basically is systematic trial and error to provide more options to this sort of key dimension. The CGIAR centres have been working side by side with national and regional organizations for many years and to find new approaches to tackle this highly complex problem

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with the diversity of Ethiopian institutions. Ethiopia is going to face serious climate change but also Ethiopia will provide lessons to share with the globalized world. There is necessarily no direct trade-off between climate change and food security. Adapting to climate change and adapting food security require very similar types of research and basically providing more options. At Copenhagen, Africa really needs to make it very clear that without agriculture there should be no deal. Agriculture has to be central to the Copenhagen deal and it is very important for all to influence the decision.

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Perspective on the role of agriculture in the Ethiopian economy Dr Demisse Chanyalew Private Consultant As far as some data and information are concerned, Ethiopia has still not invested enough in agriculture to make agriculture contribute more than what it has done so far. Recently, agriculture has done quite a lot to make other sectors grow rather than itself though it has made contribution to increase nominal food production. In the first place, Agricultural Development-Led Industrialization (ADLI) is not a strategy for the agriculture sector and agriculture should not be confused with ADLI. The way the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is structured, it is inseparable from the rural integration. Its strategy for the agricultural sector is both agricultural and rural development. This challenges the issue of agriculture-centred progress. Today, agriculture contributes 45% to the GDP. This shows 12% decrease form 57% within 10 years. This indicates a structural shift and the strategy is working for other sectors, not agriculture. The country is still with the daunting challenge in terms of reducing poverty and hunger. Agricultural exports have increased during the last 10 years by more than 2.13% per annum. This sector is the one which generates most of the foreign revenues, about 85%, but agriculture is not receiving its own share of investment. Agriculture is being milked to make other sectors grow but it remains thin and exploited in the country. It is now time to invest in agriculture in all areas from research to development and marketing. Let us not equate agriculture only with farming. Agriculture is farm, business and processing with all its support service. Unless agriculture is seen as package with all the necessary components, it is not fair to expect more than so far achieved.

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IDRC supports research for development Dr Constance Freeman Director, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO) The Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC) is among the forefront institutions working for the promotion of research for development. During its 40 years’ experience, it particularly focused on the development of local leadership by giving consistent support to grassroots African, Asian or Latin American ideas. This is in recognition of the fact that research becomes realistic and productive when it carries local blood. The quality of research can also be enhanced through continuous capacity building and institutional strengthening interventions which enable African or local populations anywhere to carry out their projects successfully. A major emphasis also needs to be put on applied research that brings impact on policy, which IDRC has been doing all along.

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Role of AGRA in increasing African food production Dr Beshir Jama Title Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) continues to work with governments and research establishments to achieve the aims of the Green Revolution. It is committed to triggering the Green Revolution in Ethiopia, as indeed in other African countries. It is encouraged to see that Ethiopia is a leader in many respects, including in increasing agricultural investment and natural resources management. AGRA takes special pride in working in areas that make the biggest impact on policies as well as in supporting national institutes like EIAR, the universities, the extension system, and in closely working with the government and other partners. This motivates AGRA to continue to trigger African Green Revolution that not only increases productivity but also strengthens capacity building at all levels.

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Performance of Ethiopia’s agriculture Dr Berhane Gebre-Kidan Retired Ethiopia’s agricultural productivity is no doubt one of the lowest in the world. Although some experts try to give a forward-moving picture of Ethiopian agriculture, the reality is that Ethiopia is recognized as a country that has been unable to feed itself. This is the international picture of Ethiopia and this image has got to be changed. There is deepening degradation of natural resources, and technologies for reversing this are yet to be scaled up. But this is no cause for alarm. There are great opportunities. There is a government that gives highest priority to agriculture. The country has outstanding natural resources and genetic resources which, when fully exploited, will help develop agriculture. Excellent institutional structure is also in place for coordinating work. There are 17 colleges of agriculture, 25 TVET colleges, and an extensive research system at both federal and regional levels, and a nucleus of manpower with national and international experience. What now remains is the establishment of a think tank of Ethiopian agricultural professionals, including those of the stature of worldclass scientists like Professor Gebisa Ejeta, who can help re-energize and move Ethiopian agriculture forward.

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Ethiopian President bestows his nation’s highest award on Ethiopian sorghum breeder and 2009 World Food Prize Winner, Gebisa Ejeta Scientist whose work has enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa is honoured in Ethiopia At a reception at the National Palace in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, following a ‘Dialogue on agricultural development in Ethiopia’ on 12 November 2009, Ethiopia’s President, H.E. Ato Girma Woldegiorgis, bestowed his country’s highest award for the achievement of Professor Gebisa Ejeta, an Ethiopian-born sorghum breeder and recent World Food Prize Laureate. In response, Professor Ejeta announced that he will use his USD 250,000 World Food Prize award to establish a foundation that will help meet the educational needs of Ethiopian and other African children, and to establish an annual dialogue in honour of his friend and mentor, Dr Berhane Gebre-Kidan, formerly of Ethiopia’s Alemaya College of Agriculture. At his Palace reception, Ejeta was visibly moved by his country’s honour. ‘To receive from my country the highest recognition any Ethiopian can receive is overwhelming,’ said Ejeta. ‘All other recognitions I have received I have taken on behalf of the causes I have served. But I am happy to take this particular recognition personally.’ Ejeta, a self-described ‘typical Ethiopian’, said he had spent his life working to serve three principles: humility, integrity and loyalty. ‘I have always tried to remain in check with myself, my own sense of purpose,’ he said. ‘You have to have some cause bigger than yourself. Mine has been to work in service of humanity and the poor.’ Ejeta said, ‘With the money I received from the World Food Prize, I am putting together a foundation. We will use this award money to help meet the educational needs of Ethiopia and other African children.’ He then went on to make a second announcement. ‘Dr Berhane Gebre-Kidan has served as a friend and mentor since I met him at my alma mater, the Alemaya College of Agriculture. I want to establish an annual dialogue, the “Berhane GebreKidan Dialogue”. I cannot think of a better venue to make this announcement, honouring my mentor.’ The 2009 World Food Prize was presented to the Ethiopian-born plant scientist, now an American citizen conducting research at Purdue University, in ceremonies in Des Moines, Iowa, on 15 October 2009. The prize, which comes with a USD 250,000 award, is given 114

annually to people who have helped address the world’s food needs. This year’s prize honours Ejeta’s life-long work to improve the production of sorghum, one of the world’s most important grain crops. It also honours his efforts to make his discoveries matter to the farmers who need them the most.

Humility Ejeta’s desire to help others is rooted in his own childhood poverty. He grew up in a one-room thatched hut in rural Ethiopia. His mother’s commitment to his education helped make him a standout. Poor as she was, she found a place for Ejeta to study, and a place to stay, in a town 20 kilometres away. Ejeta walked there. He studied there. He worked hard there. He excelled there. Lowell Hardin, an emeritus professor at Purdue University who has known Ejeta for 25 years, says, ‘Because he grew up in very, very modest circumstances—a single mother in a remote village in Ethiopia—he knew poverty. He knew hunger. And when he was fortunate enough to get an education thanks to his mother’s pushing, he decided he was going to apply his talents in this direction.’

Integrity Ejeta has spent his entire professional life in research to reduce threats to Africa’s food crops. He applied his talents to fighting a weed called Striga, or witchweed, which threatens crops that feed more than 100 million people across sub-Saharan Africa. Ejeta says the parasitic weed can ruin fields of sorghum, a major staple in hot, dry regions of Africa. ‘If you grow a crop susceptible to infection by the parasite,’ he says, ‘and if your soil is contaminated, you have no chance of growing a crop. And most of these soils are becoming contaminated.’ Researchers had tried for years to control the weed without much success. Its seeds can lie dormant in the soil for decades. But Ejeta and his team at Purdue University discovered the chemical signals produced by the sorghum plant that ‘wakes up’ the Striga seeds. They then found sorghum varieties that did not produce the signals, and bred a line of Striga-resistant plants that thrived in a broad range of African growing conditions. These new varieties produced up to four times more grain than local types, even in drought-plagued areas.

Loyalty With this research breakthrough, Ejeta immediately set about ensuring that his disease- and drought-resistant varieties were made available to the African farmers who needed them most. 115

Once the new variety was developed in 1994, he worked with non-profit groups to distribute 8 tonnes of seed to 12 African nations. Carrying research to the next level is typical of Gebisa Ejeta, who has always understood the importance of getting technology into the hands of African farmers. Just out of graduate school, he bred a high-yielding, drought-tolerant variety of sorghum. When the new hybrid variety was introduced in 1983, Ejeta worked with Sudanese farmers’ cooperatives to scale up production of his drought-resistant sorghum. Today, Ejeta is working with local partners to connect brewers, bakers, and flour millers with farmers growing the improved sorghum. By working along the entire chain, from farmers’ seeds to consumers’ plates, his work is helping to lift people out of poverty—and providing a powerful weapon in the war on hunger.

Dialogue The 12 November 2009 ‘Dialogue on agricultural development in Ethiopia’ was organized by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Ejeta’s honour. Supported by the International Livestock Research Institute and other organizations, the Dialogue was opened by H.E. Ato Girma Woldegiorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. President Woldegiorgis called Ejeta ‘an Ethiopian champion whose prize is a commitment to others. Through much of our history, we have made scientific discoveries. With this recognition of Dr Gebisa, we reclaim that history.’ In his welcome address, H.E. Ato Teferra Derebew, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, noted how much the Ethiopian Government has emphasized agriculture in its development program and said, ‘Gebisa represents a new generation of agricultural researchers. The farming and pastoral societies of Ethiopia are grateful.’

Ejeta on Ethiopia’s challenges and opportunities In his presentation, Professor Ejeta spoke about Ethiopia’s role in enhancing science-based development in Africa. Whereas most African governments have invested too little to create impact, he said, Ethiopia is an exception. ‘No other African country has committed more internal resources to agricultural development,’ Ejeta said. ‘I have grown positive about Africa lately. Ethiopia is at the cusp of a major agricultural revolution. Ethiopians are among the most resourceful people I know. They can focus and get it done.’ 116

He extolled two great examples of technology transfer in Ethiopia: the Chilalo Agricultural Development Unit in 1970s and the work of Sasakawa Global 2000 in 1990s. ‘Neither,’ he said, ‘was sustained.’ Why not? ‘I am defined,’ Ejeta said, ‘by the modest background that I come from and the great education that I have received in both Ethiopia and the United States.’ In his experience, he said, both Alemaya College of Agriculture and Purdue University shared a ‘land grant university model’ that takes the results of research and delivers it to communities. ‘More buildings and more students do not make a college,’ he warned. ‘The quality of education in Africa needs to be improved. We need to go back to the model we used 40–50 years ago. We need to get our colleges linked to outstanding universities overseas. The most significant mark that we can make is capacity strengthening.’ Among his worries, Ejeta said, were an uncoordinated national agricultural research framework and what he called the ‘seasonality and fragmentation of development efforts.’ ‘For too long we have relied on external funding,’ he said. He warned of the tendency of nongovernmental organizations to lobby for boosting social service spending and the susceptibility of donors to embracing paradigm shifts, from sustainable agriculture in the 1990s, for example, to today’s integrated value chain approach. Such frequently changing paradigms, he said, ‘have led to a series of failed starts and are partly responsible for our lack of traction on the ground in agricultural research for development.’ ‘African science-led agricultural development needs to be country-led,’ he said. ‘Our country programs must be front and centre, with international agricultural research institutes and nongovernmental organizations working to support them.’ Ejeta advised the Ethiopian agricultural research-for-development community to ‘loosen up, be open and take risks’ and to focus on three things: accelerating technological development, investing in institutions and pushing for policy and ownership.

Panel on climate change and African agriculture Three other presentations on the achievements and future of Ethiopian agriculture and agricultural research were followed by a panel discussion. Several of the panel members spoke on the new challenges Ethiopian and African food producers face with climate change. Mr Mafa Chipeta, working for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in its Ethiopia subregional office, said, ‘climate change is likely to worsen our food security problems. Climate change could become just the latest excuse for Africa not to be food sufficient. Last year’s fuel price hikes and then fertilizer, food and financial crises are all interlinked. Africa 117

must become master in its own house. It must stop feeling entitled to free assistance. It must invest its own resources. Only then will we get a future that we drive.’ Dr Carlos Seré, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), whose principal campuses are located in Ethiopia and Kenya, spoke of the need to enhance the capacity of societies to learn quickly and respond to climate and other changes. ‘I do not think there is a trade-off between climate change and food security,’ Seré said. ‘Our agricultural and climate challenges have much in common. Agriculture has to be central to climate change discussions.’ The ILRI director general remarked on Ethiopia’s rare agricultural, biological, human and institutional diversity: ‘There will be a lot of variability in how the climate changes. Ethiopia has greatly diverse farming regions. It has great biodiversity. How can we use cutting edge science to understand that diversity and use it better? Lessons learned in one place may be valuable in another. We need to empower people at the local level to provide solutions. Science can quicken this work. The centres of the CGIAR have been working side by side with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and other institutions in this country. We stand ready to deepen our cooperation with the diversity of institutions in Ethiopia.’

Regular dialogue begins Fittingly, the person whose remarks closed the Dialogue was Prof Ejeta’s mentor, Dr Berhane Gebre-Kidan, who had attended the October World Food Prize ceremony in Iowa, where he watched his protégé be honoured. Recalling that Ejeta had attended Jimma Agricultural Technical University, Alemaya Agricultural University and then Purdue University, Gebre-Kidan said that each of these institutions shared the land grant philosophy, which combines education, research, and extension, all involved in the development of its local communities. ‘I wait for the day,’ Gebre-Kidan said, ‘when this triangle is recognized in each of our colleges of agriculture. We are recognized as a country unable to feed itself. We have to change that image. We have a world-class scientist in the person of Professor Gebisa Ejeta, who we can exploit. We need to establish a think tank that will think outside the box about Ethiopian agriculture. We need to institute a regular dialogue to move Ethiopian agriculture forward.’ It appears from Gebisa Ejeta’s announcement at Ethiopia’s National Palace that that ‘regular dialogue’ is about to begin.

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