U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Peter Vrooman, His Excellency Wondirad Mandefro, State Minister of Agriculture Development Sector and Head of MASHAV Ambassador Gil Haskel participated in the signing event held at the Ministry of Agriculture
Cooperation Program in Smallholder Horticulture. The event will be attended by USAID/Ethiopia Mission Director Dennis Weller, Head of MASHAV Ambassador Gil Haskel, Israeli Ambassador Belaynesh Zevadia, the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Peter Vrooman, and His Excellency Wondirad Mandefro, State Minister of Agriculture Development Sector.
The project represents the culmination of a decade of successful agricultural development partnership between Israel, the United States, and Ethiopia. Since it began in 2005, the Smallholder Horticulture Project has provided technical assistance to regional horticultural nurseries; training for extension agents working in federal and regional government institutes, NGOs, and the private sector; and direct extension to smallholder farmers.
In its newly launched fourth phase, the 3-year, $2 million Smallholder Horticulture Project will continue fostering these activities, while expanding extension efforts to improve smallholder production and marketing for crops such as avocado, mango, and citrus fruits. The project will help to access new domestic and export markets, as well as provide technical support to improve phytosanitary regulation for Ethiopian horticultural crops. By building a stronger, more productive commercial horticulture sector, the Smallholder Horticulture Project aims to increase smallholder incomes and foreign currency earnings while making these nutritious crops more available to Ethiopian consumers.
To commemorate the occasion, Ambassador Haskel stated, “Building on MASHAV’s past work in Ethiopia, Phase IV of the Smallholder Horticulture Project will allow Israel to continue sharing its technical expertise in high-value horticultural production with Ethiopian smallholder farmers, strengthening the already deep cultural and historical ties that link our two countries.”
Deputy Chief of Mission Vrooman commented, “Under our Feed the Future Initiative, the U.S. government is proud to continue our longstanding horticulture development partnership with MASHAV and the Ethiopian government. Through this unique collaboration, we look forward to expanding the impact of our decade-long investment in the horticulture sector to improve the incomes, nutritional status, and food security of thousands of smallholder farmers.”
State Minister Wondirad concluded, “The Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources is pleased to endorse Phase IV of the Smallholder Horticulture Project, which we expect to advance progress towards the ambitious goals set for Ethiopia’s horticulture sector under the AGP-II.”
Smallholder Horticulture Project activities are ongoing in targeted woredas within Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, and SNNPR Regions, and will continue through October of 2019.
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