Practical training session for producers and development agents on fruit grafting techniques at Melkassa Agricultural Research Centre (photo by ILRI)

Market-oriented development is a relatively new strategy in Ethiopia and a lot of work is needed to help transform the country’s agricultural sector. As part of this process, the capacity development pillar of the Livestock and Irrigation Value Chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project have undertaken to strengthen innovation and the learning capacity of value chain actors and service providers to develop livestock and irrigation agriculture value chains.

Between April 2013 and March 2015, LIVES has trained and coached 17,202 (41% female) producers, 5,729 (78% female) input/service providers, and 717 (67% female) processing and marketing businesses.

The ILRI capacity development brief 7, Capacity development in the LIVES Ethiopia project, examines three aspects of this issue in Ethiopia: training and coaching value chain actors and service providers; LIVES capacity development scaling out strategy; and capacity development of public sector staff.

Using participatory processes to assess knowledge and skills gaps of value chain actors and service providers, LIVES staff identify capacity development interventions. Project staff then design and implement these interventions using a range of strategies, including training, coaching and mentoring, and training coupled with coaching and mentoring. The sequence and combination of learning activities depend on specific situations.

Innovation capacity development is crucial for value chain actors and service providers to gain knowledge and insights into the commercial system in which they engage. It also develops skills to analyse challenges and opportunities, and create market linkages. Between April 2013 and March 2015, LIVES has trained and coached 17,202 (41% female) producers, 5,729 (78% female) input/service providers, and 717 (67% female) processing and marketing businesses.

However, coaching and mentoring cannot be provided to all producers as not all of them adopt a market-orientated approach to production. Therefore, LIVES identified a few market-oriented input and output producers who had the skills, an entrepreneurial mind-set and resources, and showcased them as demonstration households. The project forms extension circles of trained and coached producers designed to facilitate the spontaneous dissemination and scaling out of knowledge and skills within and beyond project districts. In addition, LIVES develops learning materials to support self-learning of market-oriented producers and service providers.

Strengthening research and development partners through graduate training and research is a significant capacity development intervention of the LIVES project. Institutionalization of a value chain development approach within the public sector requires a critical mass of trained individuals who will champion implementation and scaling out. To date LIVES has supported value chain-based graduate training and research of about 200 public sector staff.

Consequently, intervention households have adopted a number of improved livestock and irrigation value chain practices, which has had a strong demonstration effect on other producers. A number of input/service providers—such as grafted seedling producers—have started to provide inputs/services to intervention and domain households. Study tours and training events have enabled public extension services to scale out value chain development interventions within and beyond the project intervention peasant associations and districts.

For more information, see ILRI capacity development brief 7, Capacity development in the LIVES Ethiopia project

External monitoring mission visiting LIVES intervention site in Bona district, SNNP Region ( Photo Credit: ILRI\ Yoseph Mekasha)

The Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project is in a position to support the scaling out of the interventions across the project areas. While not final, this was the immediate perception of the external evaluation team after a five-day visit—between 16 and 21 November 2015—to LIVES sites in Bona, Bensa and Arbegona districts of  Sidama zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia.

During a debriefing with the LIVES leadership team in Addis Ababa, the evaluators—Douglas Clements, LIVES External Monitor and Haregewoin Admassu, Gender Advisor for Global Affairs Canada (GAC)—expressed their satisfaction about progress since the first monitoring and evaluation mission. They found evidence of more ownership of the project by local partners. This increased ownership—they said—will contribute to the scaling out of the interventions within the project areas in the future.

During the last three years, the number of LIVES intervention peasant associations—the lowest tier of government—has increased. Presently LIVES has demonstration households for various commodities in 351 peasant associations, and the evaluators have recommended a consolidation of this number in the four regions.

Prior to the visit, the external evaluators held a meeting with the LIVES team in Addis Ababa to discuss approaches on planning, implementation and documentation. The revised performance monitoring framework (PMF) was also discussed. While the PMF indicators remain the same, the project targets have been more clearly defined. In this reporting period, LIVES will conduct a survey on some PMF targets at an intermediate outcome level. This will give the LIVES team and partners clear evidence to determine whether or not they are on track to meet their targets.

Discussion was held on the progress in relation to value chain development, knowledge management, capacity development and agribusiness interventions. This is key given the importance of capacity development and knowledge management in supporting role the adoption and scaling out of commodity value chain development interventions. For instance, coaching and mentoring cannot be provided to all producers. LIVES so far identified 4,291 market-oriented input and output producers who had the skills, an entrepreneurial mind-set and resources, and showcased them as demonstration households. They also develop learning materials to support self-learning of market-oriented producers and service providers. Moreover, a number of input and service providers have been established—such as feed suppliers, fodder seed producers, bee wax producers, and short-cycle fattening and finished cattle marketing groups.

Community-based sheep breeders’ cooperatives, commercial concentrate feed suppliers, vegetable seeds and agrochemical suppliers and improved grazing land were among project intervention sites visited. In addition, zonal and district partner staff were interviewed to gauge ownership and interest in the LIVES project activities.

The external evaluators are expected to finalize their report by the end of December. The report serves as an input for LIVES to make the necessary adjustments to reach its targets, and feedback to GAC.

By Amenti Chali, Berhanu Biazin and Beamlak Tesfaye

Solar pump installation at Malima Bari peasant association of Bora district, East Shoa zone ( Photo Credit: ILRI\ Amenti Chali)

Household-based micro-irrigation systems can encourage smallholder farmers to start  small businesses based on water lifting technologies. In many parts of Africa, smallholder farmers use motor pumps, hand pumps, treadle pumps, rope and washer pumps and pulley systems to irrigate their farms.

In Ethiopia, motor water pumps are used commonly. But they have higher operational costs including for fuel, oil, labour and maintenance.

Solar water lifting pumps are a promising alternative that could lower costs for farmers because they have relatively lower operational costs in addition to contributing fewer carbon emissions and pollution, which makes smallholder farming more resilient to shifting rainfall patterns caused by climate change.

Additionally, pumps powered by solar energy are far more efficient than an equivalent AC powered pump and are cost-effective and reliable for livestock watering, irrigation, and domestic uses. Solar water pumps may be especially useful in small-scale or community-based irrigation as large-scale irrigation requires large volumes of water that require a large solar photovoltaic array.

Although these technologies are available and used across the world, the awareness and skills of Ethiopian smallholder farmers on these technologies is very low.

The Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has commenced the demonstration of solar water pumps with pilot households in Oromia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ (SNNP) regions.

Solar pump demonstration at Bekele Girisa peasant association of Dugda District, East Shoa zone ( Photo Credit: ILRI\ Amenti Chali).

Four solar water pumps were purchased by the project from India for USD 6,800 each of which discharges 0.5 litres of water per second from shallow wells with a maximum depth of seven metres. One solar water pump has the capacity to fully irrigate vegetables on 0.2 hectares of land.

In early December 2015, the solar water pumps were installed and demonstrated for selected households in Gamo Gofa and East Shoa Zones of the SNNP and Oromia regions respectively. The households, which were selected based on their access to shallow groundwater, interest in adopting the technology and previous experiences in household-based micro-irrigation, were briefed on the proper operation and minor maintenance services of the solar water pumps.

A business model will be developed by the end of the piloting test to demonstrate to policymakers the benefits of wider use of solar water pumps in the country. In addition, the system of irrigation water distribution and application to crops will be tested by using the drip kits and furrow methods.

For more information about the solar water pumps, please visit Practica Foundation

By Berhanu Gebremedhin and Dereje Legesse

Trainees working in groups to develop action plans (photo credit:ILRI\Dereje Legesse).

The Livestock and Irrigations Value chain for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project and partners recently carried out a training of trainers (ToT) on Market-Oriented Extension (MOE) and Value Chain Development for agricultural extension agents in Oromia.

These extension agents, who are required to not only promote productivity and production but also provide marketing services to smallholders and their enterprises, are promoting MOE services that will be critical in commercializing agricultural production in Ethiopia.

Incorporating input and output market-related information, MOE services are an expanded version of the production-oriented extension services that have traditionally focused on technology promotion and productivity enhancement.

The LIVES team and partners trained 48 staff, including five women from Oromia’s zonal, district and regional level agricultural extension offices at a workshop in Ziway on 11-15 January 2016.

A trainee presenting an action plan (photo credit:ILRI\Dereje Legesse).

Facilitated by Berhanu Gebremedhin and Dereje Legesse of LIVES, the five-day event covered an introduction to MOE, basic concepts in agricultural marketing, value chains and the value chain development approach, agricultural market information services, facilitating market linkages and collective marketing.

Participants also worked together to develop and present actions plan on how they will scale out the training throughout the Oromia region.

LIVES organized the workshop in collaboration with the Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (OARI), the Oromia Bureau of Agriculture, the Oromia Livestock Development Agency and the Oromia Irrigation Development Authority.

LIVES and Ethiopia government partners hope these training will support on-going policy and practice change efforts that emphasize market-oriented extension (MOE) for the commercialization of smallholder agricultural production which will generate better incomes for the country’s small-scale farmers.

A similar workshop was organized in Tigray in collaboration with the Tigray Bureau of Agriculture & Rural Development. Workshops in the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ (SNNP) and Amhara regions are scheduled for February and March 2016, respectively.

By Solomon Gizaw

Researchers at Andassa Livestock Centre, drenching a cow with sex-fixer preparation 30 minutes before AI (photo credit:ILRI\Solomon Gizaw)

Though genetic improvement of dairy cattle has been underway in Ethiopia for decades, the delivery of improved breeds to the country’s smallholder farmers is poor. Improved dairy cows account just over 1% of the country’s cows. But the Ethiopian government hopes to produce 5 million improved dairy cows in the next five years under its Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II).

The Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project is working closely with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MoLF) to improve the efficiency of delivery of improved dairy genetics through modern reproductive technologies.

Producing more female than male calves is one intervention that would increase the supply of improved dairy cows to meet the government’s goal, in addition to increasing the amount of milk produced in the country.

The project recently introduced three technological aids: sex fixer, oestrous detector and pregnancy diagnosis kit that are being tested in an action research project in collaboration with the national research system. The project is testing a female sex-fixer technology (Aulprofem®) under artificial insemination (AI) and natural mating systems.

A researcher at Andassa Livestock Research Centre applies Karmar HeatMount detector (photo credit:ILRI\Solomon Gizaw)

The efficiency of AI services in Ethiopia is low (about 27%) and unsuccessful insemination limits the use and successes of oestrus synchronization technologies in some cases. A major reason for the failure of AI is the difficulty of accurately detecting oestrous in cows and poor timing of insemination. Visual observation for signs of oestrus is challenging, especially at night time. An age old technology, but new to Ethiopia, known as Kammar HeatMount® Detector was evaluated in the action research project. Early observations show that the technology could be of value in detecting ‘standing heat’, which is the right sign for determining AI time.

Later, a third technology that will include a simple, farm-side and instant early pregnancy diagnosis technology (Bovipreg®) will be tested. Pregnancy diagnosis through rectal palpation cannot be made before 60-90 days post AI resulting in loss of milk and calf production time, besides being very intrusive and disliked by farmers.

LIVES has introduced a pregnancy diagnosis technology before (Hormonost®) which is highly accepted by the MoLF. But the fact that the technology works with milk samples only limits its use to lactating cows only, whereas the Bovipreg® technology works with milk, blood and urine. The technology can also be used by individual farmers, unlike Hormonost®.

The next step after the action research will be demonstration of the technologies to livestock input suppliers/service providers, researchers and development partners for wider adoption and scaling up/out.

By Azage Tegegne

The Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project has now been three years on the ground working with professionals, farmers, input suppliers, service providers and government officials to develop selected livestock commodities and irrigated crops. It is being implemented with development partners in Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regions.

We have collectively learned a lot from interventions in the various components of the project (commodity value chain development, capacity development, knowledge management, action research and promotion), and we have had a rewarding and challenging three years.

In livestock value chains development, LIVES works across the value chains of five commodities, namely dairy, poultry, small ruminants, large ruminants and apiculture. The project has introduced and demonstrated a number of technological, organizational and institutional interventions to improve livestock productivity and farmers’ income.

In terms of irrigation crops value chain development, LIVES has been working on irrigated fodder, vegetables and fruits. While diagnosing the focus areas, LIVES, at the same time, has introduced and demonstrated, with partner institutions, a number of interventions ranging from water sourcing, lifting and delivery, through to on-farm management.

In support of commodity value chains development, LIVES supported a total of 463 businesses/organizations. This support includes establishing new businesses, strengthening existing ones and improving market linkage. To accelerate efficiency and competitiveness in the business sector, the project also introduced new technologies and training on basic business skill development.

Technological, organizational and institutional interventions introduced through value chain interventions were supported by capacity development of producers, input/service providers and marketing businesses and development partners through training and follow-up coaching/mentoring. Between April 2013 and March 2015, LIVES has trained and coached 17, 202 (41% female) producers, 5,729 (78% female) input/service providers and 717 (67% female) processing and marketing businesses. In support of public extension staff, 97 MSc fellows (48% female) have been enrolled in regular and summer programs. With regard to the public research staff, 70 fellowships have also been offered and 30 students (6% female) have started their research projects. In addition, 30 competitive research fellowships have been offered and 25 fellowships (16% female) have been awarded. In total, 27 students have so far completed their studies.

LIVES has also revamped and established a total of 39 Agriculture Knowledge Centres (AKCs) within project intervention districts and zones. AKCs offer internet connections and equipment including computers, television sets, video cameras and furniture to support learning and knowledge sharing. Knowledge management events such as experience sharing tours for value chain actors and partners at various levels from experts to policymakers and promotional activities to disseminate knowledge and technologies outside LIVES direct intervention areas were organized through the knowledge management and promotion pillar.

To fine-tune interventions and package promising technologies, action research and documentation activities are also carried out by project staff, partner research institutions and graduate students. All value chain development interventions are designed to address gender and environmental issues.

An in-house review of activities showed that LIVES targets in terms of number of household and kebele coverage has been achieved and even exceeded in some areas. LIVES will now concentrate and anchor its activities deeper into the practices of farmers and the minds of decision-makers and organize and package the project outputs in suitable forms for decision-makers to feed into national development efforts.  Therefore, while focusing on capacity building in limited areas, collection of data on performances of these technologies and development of business models for various technological interventions will be some of the project’s priority areas in the coming years.

By Dirk Hoekstra, Yigzaw Dessalegn, Worku Teka and Beamlak Tesfaye

Kifle seems a bright young boy, whose father started onion seed production through observations and exchange of information with the neighbouring Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project intervention farmers. We met him on our recent visit to Gondar Zuria, in Amhara.

He was aware of the profitability of the onion seed production and we asked him if he would want to become a farmer, given the money he could make. His response was ‘If I fail, I will become a farmer’.

For us who are involved in promoting market-oriented agriculture, his answer suggests that money alone is not sufficient to attract young people to agriculture, let alone to attract them to food self-sufficiency agriculture. So exploring a bit more, he clarified his position and suggested that agriculture was ‘too hard’ work. Again, Kifle’s answer did not come as a complete surprise, since increased access to information through television and radio, shows alternative ways of making a living, often with less manual ‘hard’ labour. In this context, it is interesting to observe that in the past decade, partly as a result of the disappearance of youth from the countryside, many older farmers have shown a great interest in growing fewer labour-intensive tree crops. Therefore, if we want to attract and keep youth in agriculture, we will somehow have to make market-oriented agriculture ‘sexier’.

Etatu’s parents recently introduced a ‘local’ drip- irrigation system for fruit trees. Her parents were trained on fruit trees by LIVES and took part in a study tour to learn about and create interest in fruits. Etatu now helps her parents in refilling perforated jerry cans, which drip water in the planting holes of the transplanted fruit tree seedlings. The avocado trees seem to grow nicely so far but have not yet started producing fruits. Since the avocado trees are new in the area, we asked her if she knows how the fruits are used, and whether she learned about fruit trees in school. She answered negatively and quickly hid behind her father trying to avoid answering more ‘nasty’ questions.

It is understandable that Etatu is still a bit shy in telling/knowing about new fruits because she has never seen or consumed them. Still, in order to attract her interest, she and other children need to be ‘fed’ with information about the possible uses and market possibilities of fruits. One option is to engage the local schools in spreading the news by showing them videos on fruits, taking them to fruits farms and agricultural fairs. LIVES is planning to organize a trip to nearby Gondar town to demonstrate uses of avocado in the fruit juice shops. Etatu will be one of the participants.

Involving youth in future agriculture will require a drastic change from the present extension system and mechanization. Making use of modern diagnostic technologies and information technology (IT)-based information services needs to be part of this strategy.

by Berhanu Gebremedhin

Germame Garuma, deputy head of the SNNPR Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the ToT workshop (photo credit: ILRI\Dereje Legesse).

Scale out of market-oriented extension (MOE) service and value chain development (VCD) approaches in Ethiopia is increasing as a result of training offered by the Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project.

So far, the project has carried out training of trainers (TOT) workshops in four highland regions of Ethiopia. The most recent one took place in the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) February 10-15, 2016.

At the closing of the workshop, Germame Garuma, deputy head of the Regional Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said that the training would help transform agricultural production and trade in the region. He said the LIVES training was especially important in efforts to bridge the missing link in the regional extension service.’LIVES is a small project in terms of its financial resources, but its knowledge and capacity contributions to the region are huge,’ he said.

A week after the TOT workshop by LIVES, the regional bureau of agriculture and natural resources organized a four-day TOT workshop (February 22-24) on the subject to scale out the training throughout the region. The workshop was attended by 130 participants (11 female) drawn from the regional office, all zones and districts in the region and was facilitated by staff who participated in the workshop organized by LIVES. Dereje Legesse, LIVES agribusiness expert, gave technical support during the workshop.

The workshop budget was close to half a million Birr and was paid for by the bureau itself.

This case is also evidence that the TOT workshop approach used by LIVES in capacity building is well received by partners and is being adopted and scaled out.

Participants in the ‘second level’ workshop were unequivocal in their determination to scale out the training further and adopt the MOE service and VCD approach in their agricultural extension activities. They also committed to institutionalizing the approaches in their respective bureaus and offices.

By Azage Tegegne

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). In this post, Azage Tegegne, leader of the Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) Project, reflects on how working with EIAR has shaped his contribution to livestock research in Ethiopia.

I vividly remember  my first encounter with EIAR, then the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR). I was a senior student at Alemaya College of Agriculture majoring in animal sciences. In our final year, we visited research institutions, commercial and smallholder farms accross the country and development institutions  such as Chilalo Agriculture Development Union (CADU)  to find out about their work and learn from their experiences. One of the visits was to IAR’s Melka Werer and Holetta Agricultural Research Centres, and we were really impressed by the quality of scientific research that was being carried out there—from soils to crop breeding to agronomy, crop protection, etc.

We also saw research in livestock sciences, particularly on the dairy potential of local breeds such as Borana, Barca and Horro, and their crossbreds with exotic breeds such as Holstein-Friesian, Jersey and Simmental. The animals looked beautiful and were big in size. We were impressed by how the researchers linked forage agronomy research to animal nutrition and animal production.

In the IAR’s animal nutrition and dairy laboratories different kinds of analyses aimed at improving livestock productivity were taking place and the white-overall-clad scientists made a huge impression on me. They answered the many questions we raised as young students, no doubt in some part hoping to impress them with our intelligence and get them to hire us! I remember saying to myself that I belong to IAR and really got motivated to be a researcher/scientist like those I was seeing.

After graduating, for reasons not clear to me even today, I was ‘hijacked’ by Alemaya College and recruited as a graduate assistant. I was happy to be employed by the college because I realized that I could teach and also do research! Due to the shortage of teaching staff, I was one of the first batches of graduate students enrolled in a brand new graduate program of the Addis Ababa University. This opened up an opportunity for me to get attached to IAR at Holetta where I studied animal breeding and genetics under Prof Salah Galal. Galal was an outstanding professor and a very kind and compassionate person who was always willing to mentor young scientists.

Eventually, I decided to do my MSc thesis research on animal breeding and genetics under his supervision using IAR data collected over the years at the four research centres- Holetta, Bako, Melka Werer and Adami Tulu. Various IAR administrators, researchers and assistants contributed to my success in various ways. I thank them all for shaping my life for good.

My connection with IAR continued through participation in the IAR-sponsored annual meetings of the National Crop Improvement Conference (NCIC), which presented and discussed livestock-related research until the National Livestock Improvement Conference (NLIC) was established. NLIC was the precursor of the Ethiopian Society of Animal Production (ESAP). I appreciate that the IAR leadership supported and nurtured these conferences.

After completing my Ph.D. study in 1989 in Queensland, Australia, I joined the then International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA), now International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in 1990 as a post-doctoral fellow and continued with ILRI to date. Over these years, I have actively  participated in the transformation of IAR into the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO) and then to EIAR. I have been involved in a number of collaborative research activities between ILRI and EIAR and contributed, in my own small way, to the capacity building of the institution.

Over the years, I have also witnessed EIAR evolve and grow its contributions to agricultural development in Ethiopia and beyond. I think I am one of the lucky ones who have had a chance to know and work with different leaders at EIAR–from the founder and first director general, the late Ato Worku Mekasha, to the current director general, Fentahun Mengistu.

As we mark 50 years of EIAR in 2016, I think it is appropriate for us to pause and pay tribute to those who have built this institution and made it one of the leading agricultural research institutions in Africa. Some of them are not with us today, but the culture of scientific research they left behind has endured and we look forward to EIAR continuing to remain one of the leading agricultural research institutions in Africa in the coming years!

Congratulations EIAR on your 50^th anniversary!

A visit to a vegetable farm in Sidama (photo credit:ILRI\Yoseph Mekasha)

A high-level Canadian delegation visited the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) Project sites in Sidama from 9–10 March 2016.

The delegation, which was led by Jim Cornelius, executive director of the Canadian Foodgrain Bank (CFGB), included directors and research scientists from CropLife International, Syngenta, Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences, Bayer CropScience, World Renew and CFGB.

Azage Tegegne, the LIVES project manager shared experiences from the project’s approaches and activities and the challenges and opportunities in livestock and irrigated agriculture development in Ethiopia. Yoseph Mekasha of LIVES spoke about commodity value chain development activities and achievements in Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR).

A visit to a fruit tree nursery (photo credit:ILRI\Yoseph Mekasha).

They visited dairy, fruit and vegetable farmers in Sidama zone where they heard about the activities and outcomes LIVES interventions among farmers there. They also visited feed and agrochemical input providers, milk processors and marketers, knowledge centres and  held discussions with value chain actors and LIVES partners in the region.

The team also got to see the long-term impacts of the Improving Productivity and Market Success of Ethiopian Farmers (IPMS) project, the project that preceded LIVES, in Dale District of Sidama zone.

The visit gave the Canadian visitors a first-hand account of the outcomes of the Canadian government’s support and investment in agricultural development and humanitarian projects in Ethiopia.

Pregnancy diagnosis kit demonstration in Saesi Tsaeda Emba District, Tigray (photo credit:ILRI\Solomon Gizaw).

One of the hurdles in delivering artificial insemination (AI) to improve the dairy animals kept by smallholder dairy farmers in Ethiopia is the challenge of making an accurate and timely diagnosis of pregnancy in cows.

Results from a recent MSc study show that on average one AI technician misclassified nearly half (4.6 out of 10) of all cows presented for corpus luteum detection and this triggered the use of alternative detection devices.

To enhance accurate detection of cow pregnancy, the Livestock and Irrigations Value Chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project has recently introduced a cow-side pregnancy diagnosis (PD) and embryo mortality detection kit called Hormonost® Micro-Lab Farmertest, which can determine pregnancy and embryo mortality as early as 20 days post-AI based on milk progesterone profiles, and shortens the time to re-inseminating cows that failed to conceive.

The technology has been evaluated through action research in Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) and Tigray (see LIVES Working Paper 12). It took only 15 minutes to complete a PD test for six milk samples at a time, and the results obtained indicated nearly 100% accuracy. The technology also helped in detecting the existence of previously unnoticed high embryonic mortality ranging from 15-40%.

Recently, the technology was adopted by the Bureaus of Livestock Development in the four regions, including in districts outside of LIVES intervention areas.

In Tigray region, the technology was used across six districts to detect pregnancy in 124 lactating cows 19-105 days (average 42 days) post-AI. One hundred and thirteen cows were palpated at 60-90 days post insemination for pregnancy diagnosis. Out of 47 cows which were diagnosed as negative based on their progesterone profile, 5 were found to be false negative upon rectal palpation. This is translated to pregnancy detection accuracy of 90.6% by the technology. Cows diagnosed as positive at 18-21 days post-AI by Hormonost but negative by rectal palpation may not necessarily be false diagnosis as it could be the result of embryo mortality between 21 and 60 days of pregnancy.

Given Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) II to increase the national crossbred dairy herd by 5 million over the next five years and the pressure faced by AI technicians in diagnosing pregnancy by rectal palpation, the technology is proving to be effective in reducing the waiting period for re-inseminating cows. The kit has the potential to reduce the time to make a decision to re-inseminate cows by nearly five-fold (20 days vs 90 days by rectal palpation).

The Bureaus of Agriculture in the four regions have shown interest in using the technology in their AI programs, and some are already looking for resources to purchase the kits.

Written by Solomon Gizaw with contributions from Tadesse Gugssa, Yayneshet Tesfay, Dawit Woldemariam, Haile Tilahun and Azage Tegegne.

by Dirk Hoekstra, Yigza Dessalegn, Worku Teka and Beamlak Tesfaye

Banana ripening house in Gondar town (photo credit: ILRI\Dirk Hoekstra).

In a recent field visit, we came across two interesting innovations in Gondar town. The first is a banana ripening house which we had heard about while visiting banana farmers working under the Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) in Lay Armacheho District, North Gondar Zone. Such a ripening house would be required in the future, in the district, when banana production expands and home ripening techniques are no longer adequate.

A similar approach of setting up a ripening house was used after banana production expanded in Metema District. Banana farming was introduced there six years ago by the Improving the Productivity and Market Success of Ethiopian Farmers (IPMS) project which preceded LIVES. A banana ripening specialist was brought in from Atkilt tera (fresh fruit and vegetable marketing centre in Addis Ababa) to train traders from Gondar town and some farmers from Metema.

One of the trained banana traders did, in fact, start a ‘Chella‘ (banana ripening) house in Gondar town but it only functioned for a short time as a result of low prices offered to farmers and conflicting interests between traders. But by then, the IPMS project had ended and the development and scaling up of banana ripening was not pursued further. So it was quite a surprise to find a fully functional ripening house in Gondar which is operated by Fiseha Aregawi. We noticed many women retailers collecting bananas from the ripening house for sale in town. Another surprise was the fact that most of the ripened bananas were not from Metama (which we expected) but from Arba Minch District, where the project originally introduced banana farming.

Red Bombay onion seed in Gondar town (photo credit:ILRI\Dirk Hoekstra).

The second innovation we came across in Gondar town was industry packed Red Bombay onion seeds, which we found in Mohamednur Ahmed’s agricultural input supplies shop. We learnt that the seed is produced and packed in Mecha District, West Gojjam zone by a commercial company, Jemma Integrated Agriculture PLC, in Merawi.

It reminded us of an onion seed production initiative started by IPMS in Fogera in 2005. Starting with only three farmers, it had grown to 92 farmers in 2009/10, producing onion seeds worth ETB 2,361,000 ( approximately USD 110,000). To professionalize the sale of onion seeds, the project at that time worked with Adet Agricultural Research Centre and the Amhara Bureau of Agriculture regulatory department to train farmers to produce quality seeds. It even resulted in a brand name (FOSP) for the onion seeds which was used by some of the farmers. When LIVES started in the Koga irrigation scheme a few years later, it was found that one of the leading onion seed producers in Fogera leased land in the scheme to produce onion seeds. This person introduced onion seed production in Koga irrigation scheme.

The project in Fogera further expanded and a seed producers cooperative was established in support of Local Seed Business and AgroBig projects. In addition, an entrepreneur, Jemma Integrated Agriculture in Mecha District, started onion seed production, processing, packaging and marketing. The company is now selling packed onion seed to onion producers in west Amhara region at a lower price compared to imported seeds.

Our experiences in Gondar show that projects can plan, initiate and facilitate scaling up of interventions but it is ultimately up to the value chain actors to actually implement them and in their own ways, ensure their long-term success. In addition, innovation requires incubation period to takeoff.

This toolkit from the Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) Project explains the planning, implementation and documentation of the LIVES capacity development and knowledge management interventions. It also presents project capacity development methods and approaches.

The toolkit introduces tools for capacity development interventions including training needs assessment, planning training events, training delivery, documentation, monitoring and evaluation and coaching and mentoring.

It also explains the tools for knowledge management intervention such as organizing and facilitating study tours and field days, convening effective commodity platforms and demonstration new technologies.

It also offers links to resources for further reading and it is intended for use by project and partner staff.

Download the toolkit

Yoseph Mekasha, Tadiwos Zewdie, Tesfaye Shewage, Tesfaye Dubale, Birhanu Biazen and Dirk Hoekstra

Lack of access to commercial concentrate feed supply and inadequate knowledge on the use are among the challenges hindering market-oriented livestock development in Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) Region. Concentrate feed is rich in energy, protein, and other nutrients that are required for optimum production and reproduction performance of livestock.

Cognizant of this, the Livestock and Irrigation Value chain for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project and stakeholders in the livestock sector are working on to create access for and improving concentrate feed supply in the region through the introduction of pertinent interventions. 

These interventions were preceded by the establishment, by LIVES, of commodity platforms in project districts. The platforms help the project team and partners understand the existing situation, identify challenges and constraints, and prioritize interventions for implementation through community participation.

The project then trained, coached and mentored selected livestock producers and extension experts on concentrate feed use and organized study tours for experience sharing.

Six concentrate feed suppliers were then initiated in five intervention districts of Gamo Gofa and Sidama Zones.These are  Chebicho concentrate feed retailing, Alemitu livestock feed retailing, Adanech livestock feed retailing, Feker Shemachoch Hulegeb cooperative, Musa livestock feed retailing, and Mulu livestock feed retailing in Bona, Arbegona, Bensa, Arbaminch Zuria and Bonke districts respectively. With the exception of Feker Shemachoch hulegeb cooperative, all the others are owned and operated by individuals. In addition, these enterprises were supported to establish market linkages with commercial concentrate processors and livestock producers.

The owners of the businesses are also livestock producers mainly dairy, poultry and cattle fattening and 60% of these feed businesses are owned and managed by women. The focus is on retailing commercial concentrate feed mix and/or ingredients. Wheat bran and oil seed cakes (such as noug seed and linseed cakes) are the main commercial livestock feed retailed in project districts.

Within the past 18 months three of the businesses (Feker Shemachoch Hulegeb Cooperative, Musa private feed retailer and Alemitu livestock feed retailing) sold 373, 400kg of commercial concentrate feeds  to more than 100 regular customers and other non -regular buyers in and outside their respective districts.

The retailers in Sidama Zone buy concentrate mix from processors in Hawassa city while retailers in Gamo Gofa zone buy from Wolayta Sodo, Debre Zeit and Mojo. However, most retailers (except those in Arbegona and Arbaminch Zuria districts) source agro-industrial by-products (ingredients) from traders in Hawassa and Wolayita Sodo for Sidama and Gamo Gofa zones, respectively.

LIVES has continued providing the necessary support such as coaching and mentoring to strengthen these businesses. The project is also facilitating business-to-business linkage among retailers, processors and livestock producers.

In general, the feed supply businesses are creating and improving farmers’ access to commercial concentrate feed and contributing towards market-oriented livestock development in the intervention districts and beyond. The performance of the businesses is encouraging although much more needs to be done to enhance the demand for concentrate feed use in the region through awareness creation, coaching and mentoring and knowledge sharing events.

This working paper by the Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) Project and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) presents results from an analysis of the profitability of selected irrigated commodities and farmers’ risk perception in Ethiopia.

Findings from the study suggest that most commodities have high level of profitability for producers. This may assure the feasibility of investments on the respective commodities vis-a-vis other investment alternatives such as saving money in local banks to commercial saving interest rates.

The study found that provided that output prices are stable, yield enhancing interventions secure more profit to farmers and profit is more responsive to yield growth than to cost rise. The level of perceived business risk by farmers ranges from moderate to high with the most important business risk occurring at the production stage of the value chain, followed by the post-harvest and the input supply stages. The study recommends improving the entire value chain of irrigated agriculture by targeting interventions at all stages.

The data was collected from Amhara, Tigray, SNNP and Oromia in the 2013-14 production year.

Download the working paper.

Small ruminants, which account for more than half of the domesticated ruminants in the world, are an important component of the farming systems in most developing countries.

Despite their economic and social importance, socioeconomic and marketing research on small ruminants has so far been limited, a fact which also holds strongly true in Ethiopia.

This study, based on survey data of 5004 Ethiopian smallholder households, uses analysis of descriptive information and econometric analysis to draw implications to promote market orientation.

Econometric results are based on estimation of bivariate, ordinal, and multinomial probit models. We find that herd size, herd structure, access to livestock market, and involvement in the institutional services of extension and credit stand out as the most important factors affecting market participation behaviour of households.

Results imply that an effective package of interventions to promote market-oriented small ruminant production will need to include development of livestock market infrastructure and market institutions, improved access to extension and credit use, efficient animal reproduction and management, and proper animal health care.

Download the working paper:

Gebremedhin, B., Hoekstra, D., Tegegne, A., Shiferaw, K. and Bogale, A. 2015. Factors determining household market participation in small ruminant production in the highlands of Ethiopia. LIVES Working Paper 2. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.

Oestrous synchronization is the manipulation of the oestrous cycle or induction of oestrus to bring a large percentage of a group of females cattle into oestrus at a short, predetermined time.

The first field trial on hormonal oestrous synchronization regime and mass artificial insemination was conducted by the Improving Productivity and Market Success (IPMS) project in Tigray and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNP) regions. The objective was to improve access to improved dairy genetics by smallholder farmers and to kick-start market-oriented smallholder dairy development in Ethiopia. Following the field trial, the synchronization technology was adopted and scaled up by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and regional Bureaus of Agriculture (BoAs) in collaboration with the IPMS and Livestock and Irrigation Value Chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) projects of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)) and the national research system. Performance of the scaled up project was inconsistent in the application of the technology and the results achieved.

This working paper synthesizes results of action research activities and performance of the technology at larger scale, discuss implications of the results and draw recommendations for effective and sustained application of the technology in Ethiopia.

The results of the four studies in the four highland regional states showed that farmers’ breeding methods have significantly shifted to Artificial Insemination (AI). However, availability, regularity and the effectiveness/efficiency of the service is below expectation of farmers and the current studies indeed showed that conception rates are low.

Hormonal synchronization of oestrus is well adopted by farmers who had the access to the service. However, farmers expressed low satisfaction with the service, although evaluation of the technology by farmers is confounded with low conception rates which may also result mainly from low efficiency in the AI practice. This argument could be supported by the data generated in this study that oestrous response rate per se was very high, but conception rates were very low. AI technicians’ skill on identification of functional corpus luteum (CL) and AI skill are important determinants of successful oestrous synchronization and pregnancy.

A comparison of results from action research activities and the regular synchronized AI service indicated that there is a possibility to improve the service; oestrous response can be increased by18.2% and conception rate by 46.6%. However, a strict follow up of activities, skill upgrading and consideration of the factors affecting oestrous response and successful pregnancy presented in this paper and elsewhere in the literature need to be considered for a successful oestrous synchronization and AI service. Choice of technically right and practically feasible protocol is essential for a successful breeding program.

Based on the results, it can be recommended that single dose and heat detection could be a more feasible protocol than the double dose protocol for Ethiopia. Further challenges to the oestrous synchronization and AI program are embryo loss (which was found to be high in the current study), incidence of missed AI opportunity due to failure to detect heat and wrong insemination of non-oestrous cows, and pregnancy diagnosis through rectal palpation which could be intrusive and could not be done earlier than 60 days post AI. Technological aides that use progesterone profiling (e.g. using Hormonost®) could be a solution for all the above challenges

Download the working paper:

Gizaw, S., Tesfaye, Y., Mekuriaw, Z., Tadesse, M., Hoekstra, D., Gebremedhin, B. and Tegegne, A. 2016. Oestrus synchronization for accelerated delivery of improved dairy genetics in Ethiopia: Results from action research and development interventions. LIVES Working Paper 12. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.

A mini-incubator introduced by LIVES (photo credit:ILRI\Yayneshet Tesfay).

Small-scale hatcheries are recent additions to the Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) efforts to modernize and improve the way smallholder poultry keepers in Ethiopia produce chicks for the market.

The mini-hatcheries were meant to solve the problems faced by both small-scale commercial poultry producers, who need the supply of day-old chicks of exotic breeds, and rural chicken producers. Supply of day-old chicks by the large-scale commercial chick producers have been insufficient. The brooding characteristics of local chicken breeds is one of the challenges for increasing egg production. The broody cycle can be interrupted by both traditional methods and injection of estrogens. However, the hen’s role of hatching eggs needed to be replaced by hatchery technologies.

The Rahwa poultry association is owned and run by eight women in Enticho town in Tigray region. Established in 2013, the association main goal is marketing day-old chicks. The members have an 800-egg capacity incubator that has been infrequently used over the last three years due to large power requirements and frequent electricity outages.

Supported by LIVES and the regional research system in Aksum, the women group members decided to test a LIVES-supplied mini incubator which has a capacity of hatching 42 eggs in one round. The group compared the new hatchery with their old one. The old incubator was performing poorly with egg hatchability often not exceeding 55% (average 48%). When the mini-hatchery was used at an altitude of 2020 metres, the hatchability increased to 83%, producing 25 chicks. This has almost doubled the size of eggs that can be set using hens.

By Bahlibi Weldegebrial, Bruh Weldemariam, Haile Tilahun, Yayneshet Tesfay, and Solomon Gizaw.

This study aimed at developing a baseline understanding of producers, use of inputs, production performance, marketing, institutional and infrastructural environment and support services in order to identify potential areas of improvement for action research and poultry value chain system development in Ethiopia.

Download the working paper:

Hailemichael, A., Gebremedhin, B., Gizaw, S. and Tegegne, A. 2016. Analysis of village poultry value chain in Ethiopia: Implications for action research and development. LIVES Working Paper 10. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.

By Yayneshet Tesfay, Dawit Woldemariam, Haile Tilahun, Berhanu Gebremedhin and Dirk Hoekstra

A milk shop owner in Axum (photo credit:ILRI\Yayneshet Tesfay).

According to the Ethiopia Central Statistics Authority’s 2007 census data, of the total 4.3 million people residing in Tigray region, an estimated 0.6 million live in urban areas with an unemployment rate of 22.6%.

If fully developed, the dairy industry has the capacity to absorb a significant number of unemployed young people in Tigray. This development will include improving the dairy value chain in the region to enhance the adoption of technologies and use of improved dairy production practices.

The Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project is working closely with livestock value chain actors in Tigray by providing capacity development training, demonstration of technologies, and in setting up knowledge sharing platforms.

Observing that milk shops (aka milk bars) are recently mushrooming in response to urbanization and increasing household income, the LIVES project team carried out a survey of 10 dairy products shops across four towns (Axum, Adigrat, Firewoiny and Wukro) in Tigray region to assess their business practices and their contribution to the dairy value chain in the region. Seven of the milk shop owners had received training facilitated by LIVES. Previously, most of the milk shop owners worked in trade, pharmacy, civil service and some were recent graduates.

The survey found that the median experience in milk business is 12 months. The total number of workers hired by the ten milk shops is 26 and additional 14 people have used the opportunity to create self-employment.

The monthly milk purchase averages 37,500 litres, which is traded in the form of boiled/cold whole milk, yoghurt, soft and hard cheese, table and hair butter, whey, and other products which are sold to cafes, hotels, and individual consumers. At an average market value of ETB 12 (USD 0.5)/litre for raw milk, the annual gross income generated from milk purchases in the 10 shops is 5.4 million ETB. If this is retailed at 20 ETB/litre (some estimated this at 30 ETB/litre), the total annual added value is 9 million ETB. Milk purchase is often on temporary contractual agreement. Some milk shop owners even went as far as short-term renting of dairy processing equipment owned by dairy cooperatives in exchange for guaranteed purchase of raw milk from the dairy cooperative members.

Based on the findings in Tigray, the following suggestions are useful in increasing the contribution of milk shops to the overall dairy value chain development:

• The role of private milk shops in the dairy value chain should be recognized. They are a critical part of a functional value chain node especially as a component of promoting market-oriented dairy development.
• There is a need to create an enabling environment with access to credit for expanding and improving milk shop businesses including by providing essential dairy products processing equipment and ensuring public health safety.
• Most small milk shop urgently need capacity development opportunities especially in formal training in dairy processing and marketing.