By: Our Staff Writer
Addis Ababa( Ethiopia Today) June 20,2023: The Foundation of Netherlands Volunteers (SNV) has promised to improve the Ethiopian horticulture sector through multiplying and adopting quality seeds, sharing technology and experience, and filling skilled human power gap in the forthcoming of six years.
SNV Deputy Team Leader of Horti-Life Project, Andnet Bayleyegn (PhD) told The Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the SNV has been carrying out various activities to ensure the benefit of the horticulture farmers in the states of Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, Sidama, and SNNPRs during the past seven years.
SNV has established Farmer Filed Schools (FFS) to improve the onion, cabbage, bell pepper, tomato, potato, and beans products through educating the farmers. This type of system is drawn from Asia after the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) tested them to have brought about remarkable outcome.
The SNV has addressed some 280,000 Ethiopian farmers’ in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture science its inception. It has also works on increasing the productivity and production of Mango, papaya, banana, and avocado.
He further stated that the SNV has been working with some nine Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to fill the skilled human power gap in horticulture sector and ensure its sustainability. Besides , Universities of Bahir Dar, Jimma, Mekele, and Hawassa have established the horticulture education system to maximize the value of the sector.
Currently some 31 universities are giving horticulture education and the SNV will plan to distribute the guidelines it developed. He pointed out that the SNV has given guaranty funds to microfinance to solve the farmers’ financial problems.
For instance, 1,196 farmers have obtained 50.6 million birr from the microfinance institutions in the past years. He noted “After the year of 2029, the Ministry of Agriculture has planned to carry out any horticultural activities with own potential through building capacity of over 4,500 experts”
Advisor to the State Minister of Agriculture and Horticulture, Abdulsemed Abdu on his part said “As the Netherland has huge experience in producing quality horticulture, which is significantly helps to promote and maximize the Ethiopian sector at large.” Abdulsemed further stated that the SNV has been supporting Ethiopia through giving capacity building training, providing agriculture inputs like quality seeds, and the likes.
This would bring a significant outcome in stabilizing the market, generating revenue, increasing the level of horticulture products, creating more jobs, and building the positive image of the country. Ethiopia has issued a horticulture strategy in a bid to solve the sectors problems and ensure adequate benefit out of it, he cited.
