Posts Categorized: Blog

At the Nane Nane exhibition farmers were able to meet with domestic and international agricultural actors including agro chemical companies, processing companies, agric input suppliers, research institutions, and progressive farmers. Most importantly, however, participants were able to spend time together as small-scale farmers to discuss their successes and challenges, as well as share their personal experiences in the field.

The Nane Nane exhibition was an eye opener to most of the participants. One farmer commented: “I am glad to have received this opportunity to visit these exhibitions. I have learned a lot and gotten answers to many of my challenges. I am confident that I am going to make a difference. Thanks CNFA for organizing this event”.

26 host representatives and CNFA staff participated in the exhibition this year, 15 men and 11 women.

The first Field Day photos are in from Tajikistan!

Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteers Bob Morris, Ross Penhallegon and Kate Penhallegon are sharing their expertise by holding Field Days at the “Akmal” Dehkan apricot farm and the “Qalai Surkh” Production Cooperative.

While in general Field Days are a great opportunity for local farmers to get hands on experience and training, this assignment has Bob, Ross and Kate focusing on fruit and vegetable processing; developing recipes for using apricots, tomatoes, cucumbers, water melons and melons at home; enhancing methods for pruning and forming apricot trees after the harvest; instruction on necessary tillage, fertilizing and watering techniques; as well as the specifics, principles, and advantages of drip irrigation to reduce watering costs.

CNFA HQ staff, Eric Sedlacek and Rachel Storey, who are currently traveling in Tajikistan, attended one of the Field Days in the Sughd Province at the “Qalai Surkh” Production Cooperative.

See all the photos on our Facebook page!

USAID’s Commercial Farm Service Program and USAID’s Feed the Future Livestock Market Development project, both implemented by CNFA, hosted a half-day training and networking workshop at their office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this past Thursday.

Nine different media agencies including representatives from radio, newspaper and television participated in the event. During the workshop, CNFA provided information on its current USAID funded projects and helped facilitate a discussion on how the media covers development programs. In addition, Ato Mekuria Mekasha, an assistant professor, who has years of experience in conducting mass media trainings, engaged the audience with a presentation on “Eye Catching Story Writing.” The workshop concluded with the media actively participating in a Q&A session and presented several recommendations on how development organizations can better engage the media.

This short video provides an overview of two agreements that USAID signed with Project Mercy, a not-for-profit development and relief agency, based in Ethiopia.  USAID’s Livestock Market Development project, implemented by CNFA, is supporting Project Mercy’s dairy farm in Chacha, Ethiopia.

On June 4, 2013, the Commercial Farm Service Program (CFSP), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by CNFA, hosted a signing event between USAID and six grantees.  The $240,000 grant will support entrepreneurs and farmers’ cooperative unions in Ethiopia to establish six farm service centers (FSCs) in the Oromia State.  The program, funded through USAID’s Innovation Fund for Ethiopian Agriculture (IFEA), seeks to develop innovative projects and opportunities that diversify agricultural sector production and markets, while promoting enterprise development along entire value-chains. The FSCs to be established through the grant will provide a complete range of inputs, services, information and output marketing linkages to Ethiopian smallholders, allowing them to make the step from subsistence to commercial production.

The grantees, who are expected to match $1.5 million in matching funds, will take a direct role in transferring knowledge and technology to smallholder farmers.

The event, which took place at the Jupiter Hotel, hosted 35 participants including Partner International NGO’s, Ethiopian Government Officials and input suppliers. Chief of Party, Tim Bergstrom, along with USAID/Ethiopia Officer Chief of Economic Growth and Transformation, Gary Robbins and Furo Beketa of the Oromia Bureau of Agriculture spoke at the event before introducing the six grantees. The Deputy Chief of Party, Waktola Wakgari, introduced the six grantees to begin the signing ceremony.

After the signing ceremony, the grantees answered questions from the press and indicated that the technical insight and financial support extended to them by USAID and CNFA will help them in achieving agricultural growth objectives in their communities.

Clay Mason, an accomplished digital media professional, recently volunteered with a Kenyan rice cooperative in the Meru district to produce three videos which will serve a variety of purposes to further the mission and reach of the cooperative.  The videos included a short commercial for potential bulk buyers, one to advertise and promote the services offered by the cooperative to its members, and a final 30 minute video exclusively on modern rice farmer techniques.

MRGM: What We Offer For Farmers Video

MRGM: Our Rice Video