However, food insecurity has been a persistent problem due to climate variability and the poor performance of the agricultural sector. To address this problem, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has been implementing several strategies, and have given due emphasis on increasing agricultural production and productivity. More and more smallholder farmers have been engaged in horticulture production as the subsistence farming and also as cash crop production. Amount of the horticulture crop produced by smallholder farmers has been increased, but still there is some gap in market linkages.

 

JICA started the training program called "Training Program for Market Oriented Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers" in 2014. After the training program in Japan, ex-participants of this training started to implement the pilot project in Oromia State of Ethiopia.

 

In the course of the pilot project implementation, considerable positive changes were observed among the target farmer groups such as embarking upon collective purchasing/marketing and diversifying crops to include high return cash crops (such as garlic). Recognizing these results, GoE requested the Government of Japan (GoJ) for the technical cooperation to support GoE in promoting and scaling up market-oriented agriculture for smallholder horticulture farmers based on the experience from the pilot project.

 

Garlic productivity change after SHEP

 

Based on this the project agreement was signed between the representatives of the two government on November 16, 2016. Project for Smallholder Horticulture Farmer Empowerment through Promotion of Market-Oriented Agriculture (Ethio-SHEP) has goals which can be attained by implementing the Small Horticulture Empowerment Promotion (SHEP) approach. This leads to increasing farmers' income from horticulture. The outputs of the project include developed capacity on extension service delivery based on the SHEP approach, provision of effective extension services based on the SHEP approach to the target farmers and suitable situations that will develop sustainable implementation of the SHEP models.

 

The government of Ethiopia through its different parties that include Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Amhara Bureaus of Agriculture and Oromia Irrigation Development Authority will assume different responsibilities to ensure the success of the project. These parties will work to ensure that the technologies and knowledge acquired by the Ethiopian nationals as a result of Japanese technical cooperation.

 

The models of effective extension package for smallholder horticulture farmers aim of expanding to wider areas, preferably nation-wide. The project models which are realistic particularly in terms of financial and human resource will have a significant effect. Once such models are established, the project will advocate their efficacy in federal and regional policy-making process and seek a way to mainstream the SHEP approach in Ethiopian extension services before the project closes.

 

Holistic Support through Cycle

 

SHEP provides its support through the entire circle of farmers' activities that start with "Knowing Market" and complete with "Selling their produce to Market". In order for farmers to ensure this circle, the extension office encourages and guides them step by step.

 

Farmer initiative in market

 

Marketing is not something special for experts. In SHEP, it is the farmer groups who go to local market, communicate with traders and consumers and formulate their own action plan

 

Gender Equity and Equality

 

The SHEP Gender Awareness Training pushes forward the concept of Household as a Farm Management Unity and Couple as Partners for a Better Management. All the training and events ensure the equal access of both men and women.

Source : allafrica.com