Research focus of Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)

Research focus of Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)

Fentahun Mengistu, EIAR

05/03/23 EIAR Research Focus 2015-2020 1

Ethiopia - CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) Country Collaboration and Site Integration Meeting,

Addis Ababa, 11 December 2015

Research Priorities: guided by the Agricultural /agro-industry Sector goals

Ethiopia’s Development trajectory• Agricultural Development Led Industrialization • Climate-Resilient Green Economy strategy

Ethiopia: 2025 low middle income countryAgriculture a major sources of growth:Food security; employment, incomeRaw materials for industry Adequate supply for export Macroeconomic stability


Smallholder farmers'/herders’ central to agriculture growth; increase contribution of Private sector NRM- based irrigated agricultureDevelopment Zone based agricultural development

Basic directions of the Agriculture sector


Ensure agricultural Development is aligned and contributed to Green economy strategyScaling up of best practices Increase income of growers; shifting towards high value commoditiesEnsure youth & women are benefited from RDImprove livelihood & resilience capacity of people in the arid & semi-arid areas


Rural socio-economic & environmental dynamics affecting R&D activities


• Aggressive NRM activity; Ecological restoration• Agricultural productivity at increase; seen as a business • Input use (fertilizer, seed) & management practices are at increase• Technological/technical change - farm implements• Technological demand increased• Infrastructure(road, transportation, water, electricity, telephone, etc)

Education, health expansion• Urbanization

Capacity improved: •Farmers’, extensionists , policy makers, etc;- knowledge, skill, awareness, planning & management and analytical capacity improved•Social capital and interaction improving Development focus areas changed•Agro-industry, export•Nutrition •Value addition, production/value chain•market•Specialization/diversification•Social inclusiveness- women, youth•Climate change


Challenges related to agricultural technology supply

Knowledge and Technology availability related to:•Yield stagnation/lack of improved varieties•Improved animal breeds•Biotic and abiotic constraints•Irrigation technology•Farm implements/ mechanization•Technologies for Industrial and export commodities•Product quality; Nutrition quality•Post-harvest technologies; value addition•Climate change•AEZ complexity; too many priorities


Challenges related to agricultural technology supply

• Less addressed segments/customers:

• Commercial farmers• Youth & women• Herders• Trade• Industry


• Less addressed AEZs: • moisture stressed • Dry lands• Frost prone highlands• Pastoral, semi-pastoral areas• western humid-hot lowlands • urban/ suburbs


EIAR’s Key Functions










BreederCrop protectionist

AgronomistEconomist

Etc.Multidisciplinary team

Multi-institutional team

Research execution: Commodity as a planning unit


• Food Security & Nutrition, income generation• Agro-industry & Import substitution• Market (Export market)• Environmental & livelihood resilience;

Climate Change

Thematic areas


• Horticulture• Livestock• Biotechnology• Irrigation• Mechanization• Climate change

Relatively new commodities & areas of focus:


Food Security & Nutrition•Productivity with desirable quality•Vertical Yield enhancement•Technological Change- hybrids, GMOs •Nutrition, processing, safety Pests, diseases, weeds•Agro-technics & practices•Sustainable intensification •post-harvest loss•Farm mechanization•Biotechnological methods


Industrial raw materials/Import substitution

•Wheat(DW)•malt barley•oil crops (soy, Noug, etc)•energy crops, etc•Hides and skins•Meat, Dairy•Fruits


Market/export/•Coffee•livestock & L. products•Pulses (CB, CP, L)•oil seeds (sesame, etc)•High value commodities: Fruits, veg., spices•Value addition


Natural Resource ManagementWater management •Irrigation, WUE •Land and water conservation•IWM, landscape re-construction •Integrated soil fertility management•Acidity, salinity, vertisol management


Research on:

•CSA: Adaptation, Mitigation, productivity•Conservation Agriculture•Climate information•resilient commodities

Climate Change


Livestock: •Breed improvement: indigenous; exotic (milk, beef)•Feeds•range land management •Value addition; post-harvest


Farm implements /mechanization

Pre-harvest: •plough, row planters, weeders, •Enhancing horse power- tractors, tractor appendages, etc.

Harvest, Post-harvest : •Harvesters, threshers, hullers, driers•Storage facilities


Agricultural Economics & Extension Research


• Farming Systems Dynamics• Technological adoption, innovation and impacts• Production economics • Agricultural Value chains • Sub-sector analysis of agro-industrial commodities• Agricultural technology transfer• Agricultural innovation through stakeholders' R&D platforms


Comments on NARS-CGIAR partnership


• Increased focus and commitment of the Government for economic and agricultural R&D

• The country’s diverse AEZ, socio-economics dynamics presenting diverse opportunities and challenges

• A relatively, strong, robust, responsible NARS/AKIS• Existence of 11 CGs• Successful experiences and impacts of CG-NARS

collaborations

Opportunities


• Inadequate alignment to the national priorities• Inadequate synergy among the different CGs Centers• Lacking uniform working modalities with NARS• Task overlaps between CGs and CG-NARS• Less visibility; inadequate impact with some• Inadequate focus on building the capacity of NARS• Clear role at national, regional and global mandates• Program organization differences with NARS• Inadequate finance mobilization & allocation to NARS -

commensurating with the work

Bottlenecks


Possible areas of NARS-CGIAR collaboration

1. Germplasm enhancement and exchange 2. Collaborative research; research alignment3. Help adopt/adapt technologies, production techniques, practices4. Capacity building: How can NARS make a catch up?• Science capacity of NARS to catch up; contribute to the world- Labs facilities, cold stores, vehicles, etc- Technological infrastructure: Common use research facilities e.g. Cutting edge sciences- Getting NARS access to CG facilities• Technical backstopping; training, mentoring, etc.4. Research financing: adequate mobilization, transparent allocation


• Non-research activities• Visibility at higher layer institution• Overlaps/ redundancies among CGs; CGs-NARS• Short term objectives• Piece-meal funding

What needs to be improved?