N2Africa-Ethiopia annual planning workshop was successfully held on 15-16 April, 2014 at ILRI Addis campus. The conference was made in ILRI’s conference hall with well-furnished display technology which exited the participants. A total of 41 participants from national and regional research institutes, Universities, Ministry of Agriculture, ILRI, CAFS, National Soil, Private sectors, and invited guest from ICRISAT and NGOs have attended the conference. Dr. Amare Tegbaru, N2Africa’s Gender Specialist, Dar es Salam IITA, also attended the planning meeting and made presentations.
 |
Brief overview of the conference was made during the first day by Dr Endalkachew Welde-Meskel, Country coordinator for N2Africa-Ethiopia. The welcoming address was then made by Dr Alan Duncan, Senior Livestock Scientist. Deputy Director General of Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Dr Asefa Ta’a officially opened the planning workshop. |
The conference was stimulated by presentations from the bridging period activity reports and synthesis of studies on rhizobiology, priority legume crops value chains, feed value of legume crop residues and methods and tools for gender mainstreaming in Agricultural Research and Development. A detailed presentation on the Agronomy Master Plan and specifically the Development-to-Research Model followed by planning template by Dr Endalkachew, has tailored the planning by partners.
During the afternoon and first half of day two, participants were subdivided into their respective regions and disciplines to work out the planning around the four activity clusters: Diagnostic, Researcher Managed Agronomy, Demonstration and Adaptation with due consideration of Value Chain and Market Development, Gender Mainstreaming, Nutrition and the Feed Value of Legume Crop Residues. Backstopping from the National Project Team and a consultant has further fine-tuned the planning process. Finally, a comprehensive planning was made by regions and complemented by participants of the conference.
On the closing session, Mrs. Mekdes Alemu, Gender Specialist for CAFS, has remarked the crucial role of N2Africa in realizing Productivity and Food Security of poor smallholder farmers in Africa.
More detailed information is available via wikispaces.
Endalkachew Wolde-meskel