Research works in Ethiopia

Agricultural research in Ethiopia has not achieved a consistent increase in crop productivity over the past 40 years. Ethiopia is still economically underdeveloped and food aid imports are estimated to be more than 0.6 million metric tonnes each year. However, recent developments are more encouraging.

Agricultural research previouslyfocused on developing new technologies that were then disseminated to farmers byextension workers. Today, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)advocates integrated agricultural research for development (IAR4D). This involvespartnerships between stakeholders (including farmers, extension workers, researchers,farmers’ cooperatives unions, political administrators, exporters and foreignbuyers) at every stage of the research process: marketing is considered crucialfrom the start.

The haricot bean is poorlymanaged by Ethiopian farmers despite the fact that exports bring in nearly US$10.5million annually. EIAR has developed bean varieties of commercially acceptablequality; it has also recommended improved management practices such as ploughingtwo to three times a year, planting in rows and weeding as necessary. Thesewere tested on 700 plots in three woredas (districts) in the Rift Valley inpartnership with all stakeholders.

• Using newtechnologies such as improved seed and the improved management practices,farmers obtained crop yields of 1.9 to 2.3 metric tonnes per hectare – threetimes more than conventional practices.
• Eachfarmer obtained an average gross income of upwards of 3,500 birr (localcurrency) - more than 3.5 times the average per capita annual income inEthiopia.

EIAR managed anagreement whereby the Lume-Adama Farmers’ Cooperative Union helped farmers toset a fair price for their beans (they also provided credit and improved seeds).The cooperative guaranteed a price of 175 birr per 100 kg for dry beans and theBritish company Portman agreed a deal (initially for one year) to purchase thebeans from the union at 190 birr per 100 kg. Another company, ACOS of Italy, isnow agreeing a similar deal with the union for its new canning plant close towhere the beans are produced.

Clearly, innovativeagricultural research and strong partnerships can improve the livelihoods ofsmallholder farmers and contribute towards achieving the Millennium DevelopmentGoals of ensuring food security and poverty reduction. Similar research intopotatoes, onions, lentils, durum wheat, finger millet, pyrethrum and sericulture(silk worm farming) has resulted in further successes.

The challenge now isto translate these pilot findings into more widespread practices by farmers.EIAR is now aiming to accelerate this process. This will require:

• A greaterrecognition by the Ethiopian government that investing financial resources inagricultural research is highly beneficial. Promoting success stories from researchprojects will persuade governments to invest greater amounts.
• Involvingfarmers as partners in the development and dissemination of technology. This ‘Farmerto Farmer’ approach will speed up the spread of technologies.