Agriculture accounts for a significant volume of the country’s GDP and remains the dominant economic activity in Ethiopia. About the same percent of the population in the country are agrarian. Despite the wide practice, the result has not been satisfactory. This calls for the need to advance the sector.
Bale and Arsi zones of Oromia have a huge potential of local grain production. The wheat and barley from the two Zones of would be a good indicative of this reality. The two zones are the backbone of the agricultural production in the country. Yet the farmers in the region need technical and material support that could help them advance their farming.
The role of agricultural experts in equipping the farmers is significant. Most of the farmers lack technical skills of farming. The farmers need aid in terms of material and training. Thus, the institute has been playing its role in advancing agricultural activities in the area.
Oromia Agriculture Research Institute (OARI), in collaboration with Agricultural Growth Program (AGP), has been equipping the farmers with technical and material support. The institute is working to uplift the capacity of the farmers in all forms of agriculture. The help of the institute has depicted a significant change in the production of the farmers.
Dagnachew Lule (PhD), Program Coordinator at AGP, mentioned the tireless effort made by AGP to enable farmers to practice effective farming. AGP is familiarizing the farmers with hundreds of technologies. It is demonstrating the technologies to the local farmers. The farmers are familiar with the cluster farm and the selected seeds, he said.
As to the Doctor, the Institute has worked on irrigation, seed hybridization, fishing, animal husbandry, beekeeping, dairy farming, and incubation. The institute researches on the animals and crops before it introduces to the farmers. It works on seed hybridization and reproduction. The institute experiments on existing seeds and comes up with new seed type. Bean seed, chickpea, wheat, and maize are grains that have been experimented by the institute.
Dagne Korra, Seed Disease Researcher at Sinana Agricultural Research Center, said the center has made comprehensive studies on the climate of the region and land feature of the region. It has identified the potential productivity of the regions and the type of crop that best suits to the environment of the area. This helped improve the agricultural activities in the region, as to the expert.
The researcher added that the Arsi and Bale waterlogged Vertisols are found to be suitable for bread, pasta, and macaroni wheat types. Studies have been made to verify the different drainage systems in the arena. The camber bed of Bale had brought a significant yield improvement over broad bed furrow, explained the expert.
He also said the Institute is introducing a large scale demonstration to the farmers. It has grouped the local farmers into clusters and provided seed to them. The farmers perform the farming activities in group and share the final product after harvest. The seed provided by the institute has been verified for its reproduction. The seed is latest and reproductive than the other seed types. The farmers perform the agricultural activities with the aid of the agricultural extension experts in the zones. They are also provided with pesticides and other farming materials, he added.
Ahmed Teyb, a successful farmer in Bale Zone, told The Ethiopian Herald that the training from Sinana Agricultural Research Institute helped him in many ways. Beside the technical trainings, the Institute has helped the farmers achieve their full potential, as to him.
Sufiyan Temam, Head of Agarfa Woreda of the Bale Zone, also said the production in the Woreda has depicted increase in this harvest season. Out of the 28 thousand hectares of land, an estimation of about one and half million quintals will be harvested. This season’s productivity has depicted a significant increase when compared to the previous seasons, as to him.
Mohammed Beriso, Director at Sinana Research Center, disclosed that 239.5 hectares of land under 28 clusters were farmed in Arsi and Bale zones. The grains reaped from the farms will be sold for farmers who need the seed for the upcoming season. The institute will establish market link among the farmers ot satisfy the demand for the seed, as to him.
The Ethiopian Herald December14, 2019
BY GETAHUN LEGESSE
