Report of the IWMI’s fieldtrip in Oromia 23 -28 Dec., 2013

By

Fitsum Hagos and Philippe Lemperiere

Trip to Jimma Dec. 23-25, 2013

The objective of the trip was:

1) Familiarization of IWMI with regional – zonal LIVES staff and main partners2) Set the procedures for communication between regional staff and IWMI3) Discuss on-going activities and achievements so far4) Identify potential irrigation sites for rapid assessment and potential participants to action-

training on the methodology.5) Discuss and plan activities related to irrigated value chains

The briefing and field visits focused on irrigated agriculture. Communication between regional staff and IWMI was not done in Oromia, for obvious reasons.

On 24 Dec. we visited the office of LIVES in Jimma zone and we had a briefing which is as follows. In the briefing, the target weredas was highlighted in terms of population, economic activity, irrigation potential and major challenges to realizing that potential.

1. Targeted commoditiesThe targeted commodities in the zone are: Irrigated crops, Honey, Poultry, and Small Ruminants. The irrigated crops are vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, and cabbage and fruit trees mainly avocado, mango and some local fruit trees. The zone has a promise in promoting rainfed fruit trees, because of rainfall is available around 8 months/year. But the fruit trees are very long; there is a need to introduce improved varieties that are short but product (although the zonal coordination may not know).In terms of irrigation 84000 ha of the land is under traditional but 800 ha are under modern irrigation schemes.

2. Activities undertaken KC – Rooms furnished & responsible individuals recruited Facilitation of MSc candidates selection – 8 students identified Identification of focal persons (Zone & districts) Identification of PAs

o 119 PAs in the three LIVES districtso 5 – 7 PAs per district for piloting in the initial year

Identification of potential HHs & groupso Based on plot of irrigable lands (ha),

Well Pump Irrigation – modern & traditional

o Identification of irrigation schemes – 2 schemes identified. Identification of actors

1

o Service providers Oromia Credit & Saving S.C Harbu Microfinance Institution S.C. Eshet Microfinance S.C. Pump maintenance service provider (Awol & Abdulrazak garage)

o Input suppliers South-west farmers shop Bontu Agro-chemicals & Improved seeds store Jimma Agrochemicals & Improved seeds store

Recording/documenting of activities – the office did some recording and documentation activities

3. Challengeso Late instatement of zonal coordinator (July 12, 2013)o Vehicle – hiring a drivero Many and continuous meetings at different levels o Structural changes – Irrigation Development Authority

2. Briefing at the Jimma zone irrigation Authority

We were received at the Jimma zone irrigation Authority. First Philippe gave an outline of what IWMI identified as important activities of the LIVES project and invited if the office has another suggestion.

Ato Solomon Alemu, the process owner, what the zonal coordination indicated the office’s priorities:

Revitalization of the old schemes

Establishment or reestablishment of WUA

Vegetable Pest/disease control

Introduction of shallow wells

Fruit seedling

Maintenance and repair of motor pumps

The priorities of the office were similar what LIVES/IWMI plans to do.

Field visits

A. Bonge schemeBonge scheme is located Dedo district.

The river is used in the two PAs that are found in two separate districts, Dedo and Seka Chekorsa.

220 hhs are current users.

2

Left side canal is already silted/out of function, so many land it out of irrigation.

The major crops grown potato, tomato, onion and cabbage; tomato disease in serious

Farmers are linked to wholesalers through brokers ; no marketing cooperatives

Oct- Dec. is idle. Starting from Jan there will the proper irrigation season. Then until the kiremt season (june- Sept) maize is grown. The zonal coordination office thinks that preparation of seedlings by some selected individual farmers and transplanting them will enable to add one production cycle. The idea is to increase the volume of production with regular supply to enable contract farming with local consumers, Jimma University for instance.

Comment: while the idea of whether selected farmers can raise seedlings and the idea of contact farming is commendable, rainfed vegetation is not a viable option because of pest/disease. Rainfed potatoes could be option, though. Fruit irrigation may be a viable option but it needs linking with E. Shoa because the office is currently working on grafting to raise seedlings that yield productive, fiber less Mango with manageable height.

Revitalizing the scheme and reestablishing WUA is a good option; IWMI can provide training of trainers (TOT) on WUA and could help in reestablishing WUA in the scheme. It will also follow up how the association is working in managing the water distribution, maintaining the canals and the watershed and financial management of the association.

B. Birbisa scheme

Birbisa scheme is located in Kersa district

The scheme became operational in 1995/96.

It had 70 ha command area.

3

After operating for few years the scheme was closed because the two main canals were closed because high sedimentation

Clearing has started now; the zonal Irrigation Authority thinks of revitalizing the scheme.

Comment: IWMI thinks that revitalizing the scheme may not be feasible given the high risk of sedimentation and high cost of clearing. Pump irrigation and community/private shallow wells is a better option. In that context one could think of organizing WUA to undertake watershed treatment practices and to oversee water management at watershed level.

Field trip to W. Shoa 25 -26 Dec., 2013

1. Office visit in Ambo Video on Apple farmer/trainer and women group

Reflections: The approach to start from micro issues and enlarge it to bigger issues is impressive. But is it a model that we have to follow to have a bigger impact?

Briefing by Zonal coordinator, Addissu Abera

2. Activities In the selected wereda in the zone there are 3000 ha irrigated land (about 8000 hh users). The common crops are onion, potato and cabbage. Generally irrigation is not well developed in the zone although there are perennial rivers the flows in the zone almost throughout the year.

Office renovation and establishment Knowledge Centers

Seedling promotion mainly through training

4

Establishment of platform of market actors

Promotion of women issues

2. Visit to W. Shoa Irrigation Authority We were not able to visit the W. Shoa Irrigation Authority because they were in a meeting, although Ato Nigussu from Irrigation Authority later accompanied us during our field trips.

3. Field visits

a. Berga irrigation scheme

Berga river crosses three districts. In one PA (the one we visited) found close to Ejere district town there are about 40 motor pumps. Motor pump irrigation is common and seems optimal since establishing schemes is not possible because of serious flooding in the site, which is part of Awash Basin. The commonly grown irrigated crops are potato, onion and cabbage. Marketing of the crops seems to work well. Various brokers, on behalf of wholesalers, express their offer and farmers choose from among the offers. Farmers are not organized in to marketing cooperatives. There are no storage and processing facilities in the site.

Comment: IWMI thinks that establishing marketing cooperatives, storage and mini processing could be entry points in the site. Marketing cooperatives improve the link between farmers and wholesalers (thereby minimize the role of brokers and increase their bargaining power). Rainfed potato could be promoted.

b. Chiru FTC

The FTC has well established fruit nursery (apple, peach, plum) and vegetables mainly cabbage and salad with hand pump well and drip irrigation supported by NGO called SUPORT. This is mainly used as demonstration site.

5

Comment: IWMI thinks that establishing well combined with bucket and rope (a different water harvesting technology) could offer a low cost alternative to farmers.

Field trip to E. Shoa 27-28 Dec., 2013

1. Visit to E.Shoa Irrigation AuthorityWe visited first the zonal irrigation authority. Irrigation in zone is relatively developed. The irrigated land in the zone is 36000 ha; there are two cycles of production. Nonetheless there are bottlenecks in the sector are lack of proper repair and maintenance of motor pumps (currently there are about 1000 motor pumps out of order), crop pest/disease (esp tomato), not well organized water associations (currently there are 180 water associations) and lengthy and inefficient market chain. There is also limited fruit seedlings supply; improved Mango and Avocado is important. Establishment of Knowledge centre close to the Authority is vital. This is a new demand after the reestablishment of Irrigation Authority which used to be a department in the Bureau of Agriculture.

IWMI briefed what it thinks will overcome many of the problems raised: WUA, IPM, establishment of Marketing cooperatives, fruit grafting, etc.

Briefing by the zonal coordinator

The intervention weredas are Dugda, Bora and Lume. The commodities targeted are dairy, poultry, Beef and irrigated agriculture.

2. Activities Below are given the activities undertaken by the zone coordination office.

1. Knowledge Management Organization of office and knowledge management center – offices and 4

knowledge centers in the selected weredas are organized. Internet Connection for Zonal OA

6

E- reader introduction Assessment of Knowledge gaps in KM Field days and Demonstrations

2. FTC – Farmers training center is supported to enable demonstration of technologies before farmers pick them for adoption. These centers are the place of trainings and farmers’ field day. Two sites were visited during the trip.

3. Capacity Building – Improved fruit varieties are promoted; training on fruit grafting of Avocado and Mango seedlings. The fruit seedlings are expected to be more productive but physically sturdy. Msc candidates selection(7) except one female missing in Dugda E- reader training Grafting Large Ruminant Fattening (Will start on 24 Dec.2013)

4. Value Chain Development – Platform of actors; vegetable grading and packing, Identification of actors( Vegetable seed producers, Unions, pullets suppliers, Cattle

fattening, Feed processing etc) Forage demonstration at FTC Platform meeting ; 6 meetings

5. Development and research – the coordinator highlighted the future planned development and research activities baseline and VCA surveys, feed assessment, etc..

6. Challenges – the coordinator pointed some issues that could be challenge for the LIVES project like per diem to coordinators and drivers, payment to the focal persons, overall transparency, frequent meetings in the stakeholder offices, structural changes in the govt offices, etc.

1. Visits a. FTC visit in Lemu district The FTC site we visited is located in Nanawa PA in Lemu district. The FTC has plots which are planted with different fodder crops whish were used as training sites on field days of farmers. The fodder crops are Vetch, Cow pea, Oats, etc which are used for demonstration and to multiply seeds. Agriculture in FTC was rainfed.

7

Comment: IWMI suggested of installing roof water harvesting with container (with a volume of 10000 ltr) used for gravity irrigation in FTC so that supplementary irrigation of fodder and vegetables would be possible. In that part of Lemu there is no irrigation; farmers can adopt this technology & use it in home garden cultivation of vegetables..

b. Nursery close Majo river The site is owned by local Wereda office of agriculture. It is mainly used for germinating forest trees and fruit seedlings. The same site were used by LIVES for training 10 selected trainees of farmers and trainees from the public and private sector on grafting technique of Avocado and

8

Mango seedlings in collaboration with Melkassa Ethiopian Agricultural Research Center.

c. Seed cooperatives Denkaka Megertu seed marketing cooperatives is found in Adea district. The cooperative was supported by IPMS during its establishment. It has 12 members where each member has on average 2-3 ha of land. The members are producing improved seeds of teff (Kuntso, X-37, Bosset), Chick Pea (Arerti, Habru), Wheat (Kekeba) and Lentil (Alemaya and Derash). The mystery for their success is they have close working relationship Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute which made easy access to improved varieties and certification of their products and got training support from IPMS. The cooperative directly supplies to Ethiopian Seed Enterprise, the Regions and private sector.

Overall reflections We were positively impressed by the enthusiasm and energy of zone coordinators, especially in Jimma and E. Shoa, and how well organized they were. They seem to fully understand the project, activities need to be undertaken and relevant stakeholderswere well informed. But the newly reestablished Oromia Irrigation Authority has to come into the loop. It may have (as reflected above) also new demands for the LIVES, e.g. demands of establishment of knowledge centers.

Things that need immediate follow up from IWMI and zonal coordinatorsThere are things that the team considers as important to overcome gaps and to successfully implement the on-going activities and to ultimately maximize the impact of LIVES project. Below are given the list of activities that IWMI undertakes.1. Pests/diseases – IWMI will develop Terms of reference (TOR) for IPM2. WUA – IWMI has already communicated with the Regional coordinators and time is

set for ToT.

9

3. Maintenance and repair of motor pumps - IWMI will develop TOR for training in motor pumps maintenance and repaire

4. Marketing linkages – IWMI will develop a TOR for marketing cooperatives5. Developing a monitoring tool – LIVES has to develop some sort of monitoring tool in

the face of various on-going and future interventions. IWMI will have its input.6. Intra and inter regional communication is important for effective execution of LIVES.

10