The regional livestock market centers serving Addis Ababa – a snapshot
Livestock is a significant contributor to economic and social development in Ethiopia, both at the household and national levels. However, the sector suffers from low input-low-output subsistence...
View ArticleConducting baseline surveys – Some insights from the LIVES team in Ethiopia
The LIVES project logical framework requires that we conduct rigorous impact evaluation at the end of the project life. To this end, in the past few months, many of the LIVES project team members were...
View ArticleA cup of coffee for your dairy cow?
Heaps of coffee pulp being burned in Jimma Coffee from Jimma accounts for about 35% of the dry and 40% of the wet processed coffee exported from Oromia region. As one of the major cash crops in Jimma...
View ArticleTomatoes and onions improving livelihoods in Gamo Gofa Zone
Irrigated vegetables such as tomato and onion can easily be produced in the lowlands of Gamo Gofa Zone in Ethiopia. However, despite growing market demands by local hotels, restaurants and lodges...
View ArticleWatermelons – a great opportunity for Ethiopian producers
A common misconception about watermelon is that it contains mainly water and sugar. In reality, it is a nutrient-dense fruit. Watermelon is an excellent source of antioxidants such as lycopene, and...
View ArticleFodders creeping onto croplands
Smallholder farmer Tesfaye Aregawi runs a farm on a small plot of irrigable land and a dairy cow in Hadish-Hiwot kebele, in Tigray Region. Tesfaye has recently adopted an uncommon irrigation farming...
View ArticleCommunal grazing lands: averting ‘the tragedy of the commons’
Livestock keepers in Barka-Adisba kebele, Atsbi-Womberta district, Tigray region were once confronted with ‘the tragedy of the commons’, as do many livestock keepers in Ethiopia who depend on communal...
View ArticleDairying: A way out of poverty
Ato Nurhussien with the first born cow of his first cow (Photo:ILRI\Yaynesht Tesfay) For many poor households, dairying is considered a powerful pathway out of poverty. Marketing of dairy products,...
View ArticleMaize stover: A potential green fodder in Ethiopia
Maize stover in the field is prone to wastage and tramping by animals (Photo:ILRI\ Solomon Gizaw). Maize is a major food crop in the lowlands and mid-highlands of Ethiopia, but its stover is not...
View ArticleMobile phones boost vegetable marketing in Ethiopia
Onions from the Koga irrigation scheme prepared for distant markets (Photo:ILRI\ Yigzaw Dessalegne) Ethiopia has diversified agro-ecology with altitudes ranging from 200 meters below sea level to 4,260...
View ArticleImproving seedling supply for smallholders to boost Ethiopia’s hybrid tomato...
Hybrid tomato seedings at Florensis Ethiopia PLC (photo credit: ILRI\Amenti Chali). In recent years, use of hybrid varieties of vegetables has become common in East Shoa zone of Oromia region of...
View ArticleCattle fattening in Gamogofa benefits from improved market linkages
Fattened oxen buyers visiting producer farms in Gamogofa (Photo:ILRI\Yoseph Mekasha). Cattle fattening is an important component of livestock farming in Gamogofa Zone of the Southern Nations,...
View ArticleImproved marketing systems raise incomes for banana farmers in Gamo Gofa
Banana is an important commercial commodity in Gamo Gofa zone of the Southern Nations and Nationalities People’s Region (SNNPR) in Ethiopia. About 80% of the banana supplied to the Addis Ababa market...
View ArticleHawassa city celebrates World Milk Day for the first time
World Milk Day was celebrated in Hawassa city, the capital of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS) in Ethiopia on 30 June 2014. Milk is an important part of a healthy...
View ArticleHelping Ethiopia’s rural women with butter processing
Women all over Ethiopia process milk into butter in rural households, perhaps with the exception of areas where consumption of milk in coffee or tea is common. The LIVES project’s baseline surveys...
View ArticleMore money, milk and meat: Mass artificial insemination for Ethiopian cattle
Ethiopia’s millions of cattle owners face challenges to increase the productivity of their animals. They often struggle to keep them healthy and well-fed. Managing the quality of the breed is one of...
View ArticleAzage Tegegne of ILRI-LIVES recognized for role in improving Ethiopia’s dairy...
The International Livestock Research Institute’s Azage Tegegne, who leads the Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project has been honoured by the Ethiopian...
View ArticlePoster highlight of LIVES approach to smallholder market oriented...
This poster, prepared for the ILRI@40 series of events, gives an overview of the Livestock and Irrigation Value Chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project approaches and strategies as well as...
View ArticleDeveloping the butter value chain in Ethiopia
This poster, prepared for the ILRI@40 series of events, gives an overview of Ethiopia’s dairy value chain system. The poster highlights a recent working paper by the Livestock and Irrigation Value...
View ArticleChicken egg marketing: A viable business for couples in Southern Ethiopia?
Etaferahu Bogale and Zewdu Berasso are a married couple who live in Daye town of Arbegona district in Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. The couple own a small shop in the heart of the town where among...
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