Inputs Projects
The ATA is directly implementing 15 projects geared towards rapidly improving the production and productivity of crop and livestock commodities. Projects range across six programmatic areas: Research & Extension, Irrigation & Drainage, Livestock, Mechanization, Inputs, and Soil Health & Fertility. Of these, three projects are planned to be completed and handed over to the long-term government owners during 2011 E.C., and one project will complete the design phase and begin full implementation during the year.
The Inputs Projects area is directly implementing four projects that are focused on rapidly addressing systemic issues related to agricultural inputs.
Commercial Farm Service Centers
The objective of this project is to improve smallholder farmers’ productivity, food security and incomes, through establishing agricultural one stop input supply and service centres. It operates in selected twenty woredas in four regions (Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR and Tigray). The project aims to serve over 175,000 smallholder farmers ensuring effective access to high quality agricultural inputs (fertilizer, seeds, agro-chemicals and veterinary drugs) as well as train over 10,000 smallholder farmers on agricultural technologies and create over 160 new jobs. The lessons from this project will provide input to the next higher level of expansion of similar services to wider geographies across the four regions in which it currently operates.
Key Targets by end of GTPII:
- 20 environmentally sound Farm Service Centres (FSC) established, operational and profitable
- 1.4 million USD of new private sector investment leveraged
- 150 new jobs created through rolling out of the FSC model.
Cooperative Based Seed Production
The project’s objective is to contribute to the transformation of the intermediate seed sector with a focus on creating 11 model CBSP Unions in four regions. It targets 2 zones in SNNPR, 5 zones in Tigray, 3 zones in Oromia and 3 zones in Amhara. The volume of seed produced and distributed by CBSPs is expected to ultimately reach about 22,000 tons of various crops, benefiting an estimated 1.3 million farmers (30 % women). The project works with federal and regional agriculture bureaus, regulatory bodies, universities, research centers, federal and regional cooperative promotion agencies, training institutions, Development Partners, and other relevant stakeholders in the seed sector.
Key Targets by end of GTPII:
- Seed processing capacities of 11 seed unions improved through provision of seed cleaning and packaging machines
- Seed recovery rate of 11 seed unions reaches 70%
- Certified seed production reaches at least 16,500 tons per year
Direct Seed Marketing
This project aims to create an efficient seed supply system that ensures access of smallholder farmers to improved seeds through multiple channels (public and private) and thereby enhance their production and productivity, and ultimately their income. It seeks to establish a system that ensures the delivery of the right variety of improved seeds of crops to smallholder farmers at the right time and place, and at a competitive price. The project targets about 250 woredas across four regions (Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR and Tigray) and reaching an estimated 1.5 million farmers, out of which 450,000 will be female. The learning from the project will also contribute to draft a seed marketing policy for the country.
Key Targets by end of GTPII:
- Direct Seed Marketing (DSM) scaled-up to at least 250 woredas
- Capacity building training provided to at least 1,500 marketing agents engaged in the project
- DSM agents transact with at least 1.5 million smallholder farmers
- At least 500,000 quintals of improved seeds sold through DSM agents
Agricultural One Stop Shop
This project is the next generation of the Commercial Farm Service Centres project. Its objective is to scale up the farm service centers in four regions (Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and SNNPR) by establishing over 30 one-stop input centers and 150 retail shops, and thereby enhance the access of smallholder farmers to agricultural inputs and advisory services. The one-stop input centers and the retail shops aim to deliver high quality agricultural inputs and advisory services to over 300,000 SHF, to train over 100,000 SHF on improved agricultural technologies, and create nearly 500 new jobs.
Key Targets by end of GTPII:
- Establishment of 200 AOSS centers or shops
- At least 500 direct jobs created by this project
- At least one million smallholder farmers access agricultural inputs and services from AOSS centers and shops