First Documentation of Innovation Sites

FIRST DOCUMENTATION OF INNOVATION SITES LOCAL SEED BUSINESS PROJECT

Innovation site Region Oromia Location Zone=West Arsi, woreda=Dodola, kebele=Kechema

INSTITUTIONAL DATA

Lead organization at the site Name Self Help Development International-Ethiopia Address [email protected] City Addis Ababa State Oromia Country Ethiopia Responsible person for the variety/seed related activities Name Belew Demena Position Project Coordinator E-mail [email protected] Mobile 0916 825281 Contact person for the innovation site (if different from Project responsible) Name Anteneh Tefera Position Development Agent E-mail Mobile 0913 17 38 80

PROJECT ASPECTS

Project 1 Establishment of Seed grower cooperative Duration and On going project since 2007 phases Objectives o To establish seed producing cooperative o To capacitate co-operative to be self reliant o To link farmers with technology generating and multiplication institutes Main o Activity 1: Seed multiplication and marketing activities o Activity 2: Grain marketing Role of the o Organizing farmers in seed grower coops. leading o Capacity building both in soft ware and hard ware organization o Providing revolving fund for agricultural inputs o Technical Building up o Facility (linkage of market) o Market facilitation Donor(s) Name Country Type of funding /resources Ireland government Ireland Grant ICCO Partners Organization Contact person Role of organization Sinana Agricultural Tesfaye Technology generating Research Center 022 1190748/49

1 Oromia Co-operative Organize farmers in to seed Promotion Bureau grower co-operative Oromia Agricultural Hundie Dubre Support in extension Dev’t Bureau Mob. 0911 335703 (technical support) ICCO Grant (funding) Oromia Seed Shemsu Baisaa Basic seed supply Enterprise (OSE) Mob. 0911 148028 Raya wakena FC Mohammed Supplying Agri. Inputs Union 022 666 0025/54

INNOVATION SITES – CHARACTERIZATION

GENERAL CONTEXT Dodola wereda is found in south east of Oromia at 320 km away from Finfinne (Addis Ababa) the capital city of the Country as well as the Region. Both crop and animal husbandry are the common farming practices of the wereda i.e. Mixed farming. Small cereals are the dominant crops and some crop legumes are also grown in the area. Bread Wheat covers the largest area in the wereda. The Average land holding is 2-3 ha.

Mono cropping farming system (wheat/barley) has caused crop field to be infested by some noxious weeds such as bromus pectnatus (Brome), Snowdonia polystechia, Avena fatua). Therefore noxious weeds and low soil fertility are the major production constraints. Farmers of the area are known by fast technology adoption. Farmers have good practice in utilization of seeds of improved varieties.

FARMERS AND THEIR ORGANIZATION Model farmers have been organized as seed grower cooperative. These farmers get basic seed from Seed Enterprises via Self Help Dev’t and Raya wakenna farmers union. The certified seed which is produced by the primary coop is purchased by the Union with additional 10 to 15 per cent premium over the market grain price. Most of the farmers in the area are small scale farmers. They are specialized in wheat seed multiplication.

These farmers are model with high personal performance and have access to improved seed through union/self help Africa Oromia branch. The donor some times linked directly to research centres and get early generation seed. They are also linked to seed Enterprises and union so that the co-operative will get access to seed and seed market.

CROPS AND VARIETIES Wheat, Barley, linseed, faba bean, field pea and gomen are grown. Wheat and barley are the dominate crops of which wheat ranked first. Therefore, the seed producing cooperative is organized to produce HAR 1685 Bread wheat seed. HAR 1685 (kubsa) is the dominate bread wheat variety that is grown widely in the area. Seeds of some other crops such as linseed and faba bean are also produced in small quantities.

SEED PRODUCTION AND MARKETING The cooperative is engaged in seed and Grain producing activities. Their first objective is to produce quality seed in order to satisfy the area demand specifically those who are members

2 of the coop and others who are organized to produce grain for market. In this regard small amount of seed produced have been purchased by the union. Because of weak market linkage and weak negotiation power from the co-operative and union side. In this year new agreement which include all concerned stakeholders was signed. This could strength the linkage and boost seed retrieval.

OPPORTUNITY TO EVOLVE TO LOCAL SEED BUSINESS o They are organized on priority crop there are research centres and organized unions o Development agents are at their service. o Wide market opportunities o Capacity building can be done with the existing resources