Agriculture Ministry, KOICA commence 10mln USD project

Addis Ababa, June 12, 2021 (FBC) – Ministry of Agriculture and Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have lunched 10 million USD rural agricultural chain improvement project through linking smallholder farmers with rural transformation center.

According to EPA, the project would be implemented for five years (2021-2025) with the aim of reinforcing the agriculture value chain in Amhara state and accelerating rural economy.

The project, hence, would benefit farmers hail from east Gojam Zone, Motta Rural Transformation Center (RTC) and surrounding 6 woredas namely Huletu eji enesy, Sede, Enebeseser midir, Enargi enawega, Goncha and Biwugn.

The role of the project is linking small holder farmers with industries housed under Bure Integrated Agro-Industrial Park and its subsidiary aggregation facility Motta Rural Transformation Center (RTC).

The release stated that the key aim of the project is to form a consistent supply of raw material to the industries from smallholder framers and further support the development of the Agro industry sector.

The project works on improving operational capacity of Motta Rural Transformation Center’s (RTC), enhancing capacity of farmer’s Unions and Cooperatives target Unions managements and their agriculture products storage and distribution and reducing post-harvest lost at small holder framers and framers’ cooperative level, the release noted.

“The project with its three key components, the first one being supporting the capacity building of Post- Harvest Management (PHM) in the target area with the budget of 1.5 million USD.”

According to the release, this component would support the publishing of PHM manual for targeting products like maize, wheat, arley, honey, and Milik and providing capacity building training for stakeholders and works in related technology promotion in the area.