Farmers and woreda Partners on Irrigation-based Wheat Seed production.
Haramaya University Office of the Research Affairs Conducted Training for Model Seed Producers Farmers, Woreda and Zone Bureau of Agriculture (BoAs) Experts and respective Development Agents (DAs) on Irrigation Based Wheat Seed production on January 11, 2022, at Babile Town.
As explained by Ato Kemal Kasim, coordinator of the training, Ethiopia is striving to ensure food self-sufficiency and food security. It has developed various agricultural transformation initiatives that would enable the country in realizing the same, he added.
According to Ato Kemal, one of the initiatives is expanding irrigated wheat production in various parts of the country.
Haramaya University is among the few universities in Ethiopia largely engaged in development and dissemination of agricultural technologies. The Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia wants to engage the University to support the initiative in collaboration with Oromia Regional Bureau of Agriculture.
Ato Kemal added that since 2013, Haramaya University is contributing to the success of this initiative by supporting farmers to produce quality seeds of farmer’s preferred wheat varieties. In 2014, the University is supporting quality seed production in two woredas (Gola Oda and Babile) in collaboration with Zone and woreda BoAs.
To enhance the technical capacities of farmers in quality seed production and management, the University had conducted training for Gola Oda and Babile woredas’ model farmers, development agents (DAs), supervisors and experts.
The objective of the training program is to capacitate the knowledge and skill of targeted model farmers, woreda and zone BoAs experts, and respective DAs on different topics such as agronomic practice; irrigation agronomic technique and management; integrated pest and disease management; wheat seed quality controls and inspections; principles of participatory wheat variety Selection (PVS); trial data sheet recording and management; quality wheat seed production and management; wheat seed quality controls and inspections; and Principles of farmers group organization and management.
During the opening of the training, Ato Abduselam Mohamed, deputy head of Babile Woreda Agricultural Office, said that the University should be commended for its support to the surrounding communities especially in enabling farmers to benefit them form high quality produce twice or three times a year during the winter and summer seasons.
Ato Abduselam also appreciated the effort and emphasized the activities of Haramaya University (HU) in supporting the community and thanked them for delivering timely training that help trainees in quality seed production and management.
Farmers and development experts who participated in the training said that the training is different from previous training because of its practical-oriented and will help them to apply their knowledge in the pre-harvest and post-harvest wheat production using efficient irrigation.
Among them, farmers Yusuf Hussen and Abdela Usman said that the training improved their knowledge on pre and post-harvest quality seed production, and irrigation practice.
Abdujebar Mohammed Babile Woreda Agricultural Development Expert also said that the training is equipped us to overcome our professional knowledge gaps on irrigation-based pre-harvest and post-harvest wheat production and management.
About 108 participants from model farmers, woreda experts, and DAs participated from Babile and Gola Oda woredas.
By፦ Shemsedin Mohammed
Photographer- Tewodros Lishan
HU Public & International Relations Directorate