FAO staff hand over the publications to the Minister (centre) in his office in Addis Ababa ©FAO

Focus on potato, wheat, tomato, dairy, and live animals and red meat value chains

29 January 2020, Addis Ababa - As part of the strategy to ensure a reliable supply of raw materials to Ethiopia’s Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has handed over publications on strategic value chain analysis of priority agricultural commodities to the Government of Ethiopia and other stakeholders.

The publications focus on potato, wheat, tomato, dairy, and live animals and red meat value chains. They were published as part of the implementation of the joint FAO- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) project – "Technical Support for the Implementation of an Integrated Agro-Industrial Park in Ethiopia," funded by the Italian Development Cooperation.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. Sani Redi Ahmed, the State Minister, Ministry of Agriculture appreciated the publications, saying, "The government will apply the information to improve the production and productivity of the selected commodities and ensure an adequate supply of raw materials to the Agro-Industrial Parks."

He added that the publications would be a valuable source of information for the government, investors and development partners.   

An Integrated Agro-Industrial Park is a geographic cluster of independent firms grouped to gain economies of scale and positive externalities by sharing infrastructure and taking advantage of opportunities for bulk purchasing and selling, training, and extension services.

In line with national development objectives

The development of Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks is part of the Government of Ethiopia's Industrial Parks Development Corporations strategy that aims to make Ethiopia's agricultural sector globally competitive. The initiative also forms a core component of the Second Growth and Transformation Plan (2015-2020).

FAO has been providing technical support to Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture since the inception of the Integrated Agro-Industrial Development initiative in 2014. Specifically, the Organization conducted an in-depth strategic value chain analysis on more than ten agricultural commodities in the four pilot Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks in Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, and Southern Nationalities and Peoples' regional states. FAO also supported the development of a comprehensive investment plan on selected agricultural commodities for the development of the four pilot Agro-Commodity Procurement Zones.

Ms. Fatouma Seid, the FAO Representative in Ethiopia, said FAO is committed to supporting the Government of Ethiopia in the implementation and operationalization of the Agro-Industrial Parks.

"FAO will continue to produce capacity development material to strengthen farm-agribusiness linkages," she said.

 The publications were also distributed to the Ministries of Finance, Livestock, and Trade and Industry, as well as the Zonal Agriculture and Cooperative Promotion offices. Other recipients are the Oromia Regional Cooperative Promotion Agency, Regional Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Italian Development Cooperation, and UNIDO.

Contact
Rachel Nandelenga
Communications Expert, FAO Ethiopia
[email protected]  | +251 (0) 900806675

Tamiru Legesse
National Communication Officer, FAO Ethiopia
[email protected] | +251 (0) 911861293