LIVES project monthly field activities update
Month: / October, 2013
Location: / Amhara Region
LIVES Regional staff/ Zonal staff: /
  1. Habtemariam Assefa
  2. Mesfin Tefera
  3. Teshome Derso
  4. Worku Teka
  5. Yigzaw Desalegn
  6. Zeleke Mekuriaw

Partners:
  • Experts and officials from BoA, LRDPA, ZDoA, Bahir Dar town, Mecha, Yilmana Densa, Gondar town, Lay Armacho, Kalu, Tehuldere, Dessie Zuria districts offices of agriculture, ARARI, & LMD
/
  1. Tesfaye Mengistu (BoA)
  2. Sintayehu Misker (BoA)
  3. Alemu Admas (LRDPA)
  4. Birru Yitaferu (ARARI)
  5. Yohanese Mehari (LMD)
  6. Negussie Mohamed (LMD)
  7. Ahemed (Bahir Dar town OoA)
  8. Sisay (Bahir Dar town OoA)
  9. 62 (49-M & 13-F) office heads, experts & DAs from project districts of West Gojjam Zone
  10. 9 (7-M & 2-F) experts from South Wello zone & LIVES project districts
(Indicate Male/Female)
Farmers:
  • Members of Chrechera poultry farmers association
  • Members of Bahir Dar dairy farmers cooperative
  • Cattle fatteners
  • Sheep rearing farmers (17-M & 3-F) in Dessie Zuria
/ 1.
Activities on Capacity Development / Further Actions required (by Regional, Zonal, HQ staff, partners, farmers)
  • LIVES project sponsored agricultural extension experts (7-M & 1-F) joined Bahir Dar University for their MSc study
  • Experts (20-M & 8-F) from district, zone and region trained onE-reader operation
  • LIVES project steering committee members (4-M) attended experience sharing visit in Kenya
  • Woreda experts, DAs and farmers (M-16 & F-2) practically trained on forage management and banana production
  • Poultry rearing farmers (5-F) at Gondar town got practical training on debeaking of chicken
  • Experience sharing visit organized for two poultry rearing farmers (1-F & 1-M) from Gondar to visit and gain lesson from poultry rearing farmers at Bahir Dar town on improved poultry breed management practices
  • Apple rootstock multiplication and management practical training given to Lay Armacho farmers
  • Mr. Habtemariam Assefa (LIVES RA) attended training on concepts and applications of value chain analysis organized by Dr. Berhanu in Addis Abeba
  • Decided on the topics and schedules of different short-term trainings prepared by IWMI for irrigation experts of LIVES project sites.
  • West Gojjam Zone Horticulture expert (1-M) trained on fruit and vegetable nursery management at ButaJira
/
  1. Prioritizing identified capacity gaps of value chain actors and identifying trainees & trainers (zonal & regional experts)
  2. Developing tentative schedule for the proposed short term trainings & experience sharing visits (zonal & regional experts)
  3. Preparation of proposal for organizing short term trainings and experience sharing visits to dairy & poultry farmers, and fruit & vegetable growers and experts (zonal & regional experts)
  4. Organizing training for ARARI researchers on project proposal writing (regional experts)

Activities on Knowledge Management / Further Actions required (by Regional, Zonal, HQ staff, partners, farmers)
  1. Organized innovation platform establishment meetings at Yilemana Densa & Bahir Dar Zuria districts (F-15 & M-66) in West Gojjam Zone and at Gondar town and Lay Armacho districts in North Gondar Zone.
  2. Distributed 28 E-readers to steering committee member, three zonal coordinators, zonal and district focal persons and others to assess the benefit of the equipment for extension workers
  3. Four knowledge centers in south Wello zone equipped with IC equipments.
  4. Started documenting operational calendar of vegetable growers in different districts and type of inputs available in the local market.
  5. Down loaded different reading materials for KC
/
  1. Organizing field days for farmers and extension workers
  2. Finalizing and equipping KC in west Gojjam and North Gondar Zones
  3. Preparing field days to demonstrate results of estrus-hormone assisted mass insemination at Mecha and the performance Borana crosses at Metema district
  4. Pulling available reading materials to the knowledge centers
  5. Preparing and distributing working manuals and leaflets for the Livestock and irrigation commodities

Activities on Promotion / Further Actions required (by Regional, Zonal, HQ staff, partners, farmers)
  1. Discussed and agreed with LMD to celebratetogether school milk day at Bahir Dar and Gondar towns
  2. Promoted the importance of value chain approach for commodity development during innovation platform meetings
  3. Dr. Zeleke Mekuriaw attended a workshop organized by LMD on livestock development and shared LIVES interventions to participants
  4. Dr. Zeleke Mekuriaw attended and shared his expertise on field day organized by LRDPA at Gonji Kolela district to demonstrate estrus synchronization activities for higher officials of the region.
  5. Mr. Habtemariam Assefa attended and shared his expertise on a field day organized by SIMLESA project on conservation agriculture
  6. NGO-GO collaboration and experience sharing forum establishment in South Wello zone with active involvement of Mesfin Tefera.
/
  1. Series of field days will be organized to promote successful interventions of LIVES project (estrus synchronization, Borana cross, etc)
  2. Leaflets will be prepared and distributed to promote the successful interventions of LIVES project

Activities on Value Chain Development / Further Actions required (by Regional, Zonal, HQ staff, partners, farmers)
  1. 2500 m2 irrigable land prepared at Gerado and Boru meda for improved potato and forage crops seed production, respectively.
  2. 200 Kg potato seed tuber (Gera and Gorebela varieties) purchased for demonstration and seed multiplication activities from cooperatives working with Debire Birhan agricultural research center.
  3. One kilogram tomato seed of three varieties (Mersa, Sirinka & Woina) distributed to Haik Monastery and 013 PA of Tehuledere district for the purpose of seed production.
  4. Ten kilogram seed of mungbean (Masho),0.25 Kg seed of cabbage, 0.5 Kg seed of carrot and 0.25 Kgseed of Phseouls seed purchased and prepared for demonstration on irrigation sites.
  5. 18 Kg seed of alfalfa, oats, vetch and lablab collected and prepared for sowing on sites selected for estrus synchronization intervention.
  6. 0.25 kilogram Solo papaya seed sown to raise papaya seedlings at Kalu district (032 PA).
  7. Seed of improved pepper and tomato varieties distributed to farmers at Lay Armacho and Gondar Zuria districts for demonstration under irrigation.
  8. Linked chicken supplier at Bahir Dar and farmers at Gondar. As a result, the farmer purchased 100 egg layers.
  9. Introduced improved apple rootstock varieties for further multiplication in Lay Armacho district.
  10. Identified the key value chain actors of dairy, fattening, and poultry at Bahir Dar town, Bahir Dar Zuria, Mecha, and Yilmana Densa districts
  11. Identified key input supply and marketing actors of fruits and vegetables at Bahir Dar town, Bahir Dar Zuria, Mecha and Yilemana Densa districts.
  12. Gaps and interventions required identified for different commodities at Mecha, Bahir Dar Zuria, Yilemana Densa, Lay Armacho and Gondar town districts.
  13. Discussed with the owner of KogaVeg PLC on the possibility of organizing farmers as out-growers, export market opportunity for their produce, and selection & introduction of different types of vegetables on Koga irrigation scheme
/ 1. Conducting platform meetings in West Gojjam and North Gondar Zone
2.Introduction of improved varieties of forage and horticultural crops for demonstration and seed production
3. Release of budget for platform meeting and demonstration materials purchase
Activities on Documentation/Research / Further Actions required (by Regional, Zonal, HQ staff, partners, farmers)
  1. Data collection and documentation on introduced and demonstrated technologies
  2. Data collection on traditional cattle fattening practices at Mecha, Bahir Dar Zuria, Yilmana Densa and Gondar town districts
  3. Documentation on the type of vegetable crops and varieties supplied by private vegetable seed suppliers at Bahir Dar town
/
  1. Recording success stories as teaching/training material

Activities on Project Management / Further Actions required (by Regional, Zonal, HQ staff)
  1. Involved on Admin Assistant selection and interview activities
  2. Prepared and submitted biannual report of the project
  3. Prepared proposals for organizing IP meetings, to demonstrate improved technologies and organize field days in the project areas
  4. Facilitated the supply of demonstration materials from different research centers
  5. Managing project advance for platform meetings and petty cash for regular activities
  6. Distributing printers and digital camera for zonal coordinators
  7. Discussion with BoA extension process owner and ARARI DG on trainees selection and setting tentative schedule
  8. Preparation of activity plans, budget and required inputs for different interventions
/
  1. Budget release to implement proposed activities on time
  2. Recruitment of the selected admin assistant
  3. Collection of demonstration materials from different centers

Additional information on crosscutting issues – gender & environment:

We have tried to increase female farmers involvement on different interventions of LIVES project and platform meetings. For example 7 female farmers working on dairy, fattening and poultry participated in the IP meeting organized at Bahir Dar Zuria district. Similarly, four E-readers provided to female experts in West Gojjam zone. In addition, South Wello Zonal LIVES project coordinator oriented zone department of agriculture gender focal person on the project intervention plans and shared documents.

Any other relevant update not captured above:

  • Identifying value chain actors involved in input supply of fruits and vegetables (Agro-chemicals, seeds, and agriculture equipment suppliers as Tilahun, Meher, and Mina) and marketing actors of both vegetable and fruits (whole sellers, retailers, and juice houses as ET-fruit, flever juice house, and onion& cabbage retailers) in Bahir Dar town and gaps identified
  • Supply channels and season of supply in place, type, and quality for fruits and vegetables is identified at Bahir Dar market

Gaps:

  • Limited access and no diversity and quantity of vegetable seed supply
  • Information and linkage is poor between input suppliers and farmers
  • Government has limited knowledge on fruit and vegetable marketing network, and less support to improve it (Marketing place, trade license arrangement)
  • Market promotion is rare
  • Marketing criteria of both inputs and output marketing (housing, market place, quality parameters are not considered by public sectors) and less support to improve it

Future interventions

  • Improve linkage development between farmers and input suppliers, marketing actors
  • Besidesplatforms, establishing problem oriented discussion forum of service providers (BOA, Research, trade and transport, revenue and cooperativeagency, town administration, land use and natural resource office, investment office, BoH, BoFED, and media) and marketing actors (input suppliers, whole sellers, and retailers)
  • Introducing and demonstrating new varieties of fruits and vegetables is important from input supply to production level

Report prepared by:

Amhara Region LIVES Project Team