News

Amhara Region Contract Farming Sensitization Workshop Successfully Completed in Gonder

By Eden on

March 28, 2019

A contract farming sensitization workshop was held on March 16, 2019, in Gonder in the Amhara Region. The workshop, which is organized by Enterprise Partners, was attended by Regional Bureau of Trade and Industry, Regional and Zonal Bureau of Cooperative Development Agency, Regional Institute of Agriculture Research, the Gonder research centre, the Regional ATA, Farmers representatives and other stakeholders. MoTI, MoA, ETIDI, WARC, and EIIDE also participated from federal administration. The workshop was chaired by the Head and Deputy Head of the Regional Bureau of Agriculture.

In their opening remarks, Deputy Head of RBoA, Ato Tesfahun Mengiste and TIRET Corporate Deputy CEO, Ato Berhan said these workshops would help share ideas and gather stakeholders’ inputs for contract farming. Following the opening speech, ETIDI highlighted Ethiopian cotton review and EP presented the customized contract farming model and the draft MoU for the regional steering committee.

Participants were divided into two groups during the second round of the discussion, where the first group discussed the Regional Steering Committee MoU and the second group developed a detailed plan and selected six kebeles (Koki, Mender 6-7-8, Shinfa, Tumet, Metema Yohannes, Das) to implement contract farming. In addition, they have developed a plan to manage inputs, extension services, contract management, and finance. At the end of the discussion, the project was officially launched by assigning federal and regional institutions to take responsibility. Moreover, agreements have been made to undertake a Regional Steering Committee assessment meeting after four weeks.

News

Cotton Contract Farming Model Sensitization Workshop Held in Shire

By Eden on

December 31, 2018

- News

A cotton contract farming model sensitization workshop was held on December 14th 2018 in Gebar Shire hotel, Shire in Tigray region. The workshop was attended by representatives from ETIDI, Federal Cooperative Agency, Bureau of Agriculture, Tigray Regional Cooperative Agency, Zonal Administration, Setit Humera Union, Dansha Union, Kafta Humera Cooperative, Hiwot Agricultural Mechanization, Agriterra and ATA. After the official opening of the regional sensitization workshop, Hiwot Agricultural Mechanization, Ethiopian Textile Industry Development Institute (ETIDI), Enterprise partners (EP), and Agriterra presented their experiences and relevant issues to contract farming as follow.

Three regions were proposed to implement contract farming and Tigray is the first to pledge the contract farming sensitization workshop. Evidence of the strong commitment of region to propel the cotton and textile industry as a vector for agriculture-led industrialization. Hiwot was selected as a private sector partner and a driver of the pilot contract farming to be partnered with smallholder and medium scale farmers (represented by their Primary Cooperatives and Farmers Association). Hiwot is chosen as a partner because it is an endowment fund with a special focus on community development. Moreover; Hiwot is expected to leverage its previous informal contract farming experience to successfully implement the envisaged pilot contract farming.

It was agreed that contract farming is a very complicated and highly sensitive initiative and little knowledge and previous experience are available locally. Therefore, attendees were in unanimous agreement to establish a Regional Steering Committee (RSC) that will be led and chaired by the Bureau of Agriculture and co-chaired by the Regional Cooperative Agency. Members will include the Regional Bureau of Trade, Tigray Agricultural Marketing Promotion Agency (TAMPA), Ethiopian Textile Development Institute (ETIDI), Enterprise Partners (EP) and invited relevant ad-hoc members on need bases.