To :Project manager

Subject: Report on LIVES project incept in Gamo Gofa zone and Bonke districr

Team members: ketema Yilema- Consultant

: Tesfaye Dubale- Zone coordinator

: Yisehak Baredo –Consultant and Regional planning team leader

a)Gamo Gofa zonal level briefing

LIVES project on ground inception in Gamo Gofa zone started on 13th of May 2013 with briefing to zonal Head of Agriculture and concerned zonal level staff on current status of the project in general. The zonal staff who attended the briefing included:

  1. Ato G/Medhin Chameno –Head of Agricultural Department
  2. Ato Esheto Elto- Head of Marketing and Coop. Department
  3. Ato Ahmed Arata- head of Work Process Coordinator
  4. Ato Damtew Abebe-Inputs Distribution Expert
  5. Dr. Tsegalem H/Michael- Animal Resource Depart

The strategy used to brief the zonal staff was:

-Producing a hard copy of the zonal work plan and handing over to zone head for references

-extracting the first year work plan and producing hard copy enough to distribute to each participants

- Oral explanation by the regional team on other related issues

Major issues covered in the discussion included:

  • Introduction of zonal coordinator and its role as of today
  • Year one work plan and how to go about it
  • Selection of one irrigation scheme for diagnostic study
  • Zonal KC space allocation
  • Zonal focal person assignment
  • Zone coordinator office allocation

In the discussion some of the newly assigned zonal staff requested inclusion of new districts from Gofa subzone zone because of their better potential in livestock and irrigated crop commodities. However, this inquiry was responded by zonal staff who were with us during cluster districts selection. Moreover, the zone Marketing Coop. head stressed that LIVES should give much focus toMarketing and Coop. unit for farmers marketing group formation, WUA strengthening, market linkage, etc. To this end the team explained that the zonal diagnosis and planning document has much elaborated component explaining who will do what and advised the zonal staff to have a through look at the document for wider understanding.

Irrigation scheme selection for diagnosis

Regarding the selection of irrigation scheme for diagnosis some criteria such as accessibility and functionality, and less demand for physical repair were considered. And based on these criteria and some other factors Harre irrigation in Arbaminch zuria district was selected for diagnoses

Zonal focal person assignment.

Ato Buruk Zewde Gamo Gofa zone Livestock process owner was assigned as zonal focal person for the project

Coordinator’s office and Zonal KC

Ato G/Medhin head of zone agricultural office explained that there are number of unoccupied offices in different blocks and one of it could be used as coordinator’s office. However, regarding the zonal KC center, he explained that at the end of June 2013 the zonal office will move to the new building in the center of the town and asked us to wait until then to avoid disturbances that could occur due to installing and dismantling of IT facilities

b)Bonke district level briefing

Briefing at district level followed the same procedure as of zone level and the following district level staff chaired by district office head attended the briefing.

  1. Ato Asko Ada- Head
  2. Ato Akime Arzo-Vice head, Food Security
  3. Ato Mirtu Asnake-Head, Marketing and Coop
  4. W/ro Beletech Gamo- head, Womens’ Affairs
  5. Ato danel G/Hiwot- Animal Resource Department
  6. Ato Yetmwok Asmamaw- Inputs Distribution expert
  7. Ato Endrias Keyama-Head, of Youth Affairs
  8. Ato Demoze Ayele-Irrigation Development Coordinator

Major issues covered at district level briefing included:

  • Introduction of zonal coordinator and its role as of today
  • Year one work plan and how to go about it with particular emphasis to activities which should be resumed at this part of the year
  • Selection of PAs with enabling environment to resume the activities immediately
  • District KC space allocation
  • District focal person assignment

After discussion on major year one operations supposed to be undertaken in the district, 5PAs with enabling environment such as their accessibility using vehicles, accommodating more than one commodities, availability of local markets both for livestock and irrigable fruit and vegetables (that are used to supply or feed other markets in the district, the zone and beyond)were selected.

PAs identified for year one project activities implementation:

No / Name of PAs / Livestock / Irrigate crop / Market
Beef / Small ruminant / poultry / Tropical
fruits / Temperat
fruits / Vegetable
1 / Yela /  /  /  /  /  / A bigby weekly market serving the two kebeles and the district
2 / Gezeso /  /  /  /  / 
3 / Bola /  /  /  /  /  / Kebele level big livestock market serving Gerese town and beyond
4 / Phisto /  /  /  /  / 
5 / Dambile otora /  /  /  /  / 

Currently:

Woreda office of Agriculture and Marketing and Cooperative office work to support the value- chain in terms of capacity building, facilitation and organizing farmers, women and youth both in urban and rural to benefit from government initiatives.District women and youth offices work with the above and avail resources to youth and women groups to start poultry production, small ruminant and fattening, etc as means of employment opportunity (Highest regional government priority).

After discussing these issues the woreda team requested the following support form LIVES in the first phase of project intiation:

  • Technical training on identified commodities for woreda experts and private sector entrepreneurs
  • Facilitate linkages with the source of inputs and/or developing inputs supply within
  • Help in identifying appropriate types/breeds
  • Facilitating accesses to Inputs like small scale incubators and fertile eggs to raise day old chickens locally.

Focal person assignment and KC room allocation

Finally Ato Demoze Ayele district level irrigation development coordinator was assigned as focal person and a well ventilated 80 meter square room with power line connection allocated as district level KC was visited by participants. However, the roomneeds some refurbishment (painting, curtains and window grills for safety) and the district office of agriculture management was advised to do the refurbishment ahead of KC equipments installation.

Most importantly, the focal person Ato Demoze was given assignment to be accomplished in the selected 5 PAs with in the coming 2 weeks in consultation with Livestock unit coordinator and front line staff assigned in the selected five districts and the prioritized timely activities included:

No / Commodities / Immediate operations / Remark
1 / Forage, fruits, vegetables / -identifying voluntary farmers/ FTCs
-plot size that could be assigned
-types of forage, fruits, vegetable
-quantity of planting material required
-identifying locally available resources (seed, cion, etc
2 / Beef, small ruminants, poultry / -identifying voluntary farmers
-livestock scheme each farmers would like to participate
-number of ox, small ruminants, poultry, each farmers is willing to handle
-identifying locally available resources and possible linkages ( feed, finance, Viet services, etc)

Thanks