By : Our Staff writer
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (15 June 2023): BASF Group and the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) have provided premium onion seeds to assist smallholder farmers in conflict and drought-stricken regions of Tigray and Amhara,the state media reports.
In a collaborative effort, BASF Group and SNV presented the seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture vow to support local farmers. It is estimated that a total of 15 million kilograms of seeds will be distributed among 4400 farmers in Tigray and Amhara.
These farmers have actively participated in the Farmers Field Schools (FFS) training program, established by SNV in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.
BASF’s vegetable seeds business, known by the brand Nunhems®, currently operates a vegetable seeds production site in the Minjar region of Ethiopia. Through partnerships with local companies employing smallholder farmers, BASF has already implemented a successful open-field hand-pollinated hybrid seed production system.
Expanding on this initiative, a project was launched in 2021 to empower microentrepreneurs in the commercialization of year-round onion seedlings for local farmers. This approach aims to facilitate increased and more abundant harvests for the farmers in the region, whose fields would otherwise remain idle for 8 months per year until the onset of the rainy season.
