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.
