Irrigation Minister - Talks On Ethiopian Dam to Resume On July 21

Irrigation Minister - Talks On Ethiopian Dam to Resume On July 21
Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazi said on Monday 7/7/2014 that Cairo will resume talks with Ethiopia and Sudan on the controversial Ethiopian dam on July 21.

In statements to the Saudi newspaper of Okaz, Moghazi said the meeting that was held between President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on the sidelines of the recent African Summit is a new sign of hope that satisfactory outcome will be reached.

Source: Egypt State Information Service (Cairo)

Ethiopia cultivates seed banks to lay famine ghost to rest

Ethiopia cultivates seed banks to lay famine ghost to rest

Thirty years after the famine that killed more than a million people in Ethiopia and shocked the world into belated action, the country’s scientists and farmers are taking the fight against climate change and food insecurity down to the ground.

The famine was a product of both natural and human causes, but scientists at the state-owned national gene bank for seeds say that even at the time of the crisis they had identified a lack of multiple seed varieties adapted to changing weather conditions as a major factor in the failure of crops.

That conviction has been acted on in the past few years through the establishment of community-based seed banks and training centres for farmers. The most recent one was inaugurated at the beginning of June in the farming locality of Ejere, in the centre of the Oromia region.

Regassa Feyissa, director of Ethio-Organic Seed Action (EOSA), an NGO that promotes agricultural biodiversity and seed security programmes, says a failed planting season used to be a death sentence for farming communities. The centralisation of the national gene bank in the 1980s led to inefficiency and a slow response to the hunger emergency, he believes.

There are now 18 seed banks spread across Ethiopia’s three most populous states – Oromia, Amhara and Southern regions. They have been created by EOSA and the Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity, which oversees the national gene bank and is partly funded by Norway. There are plans to expand into more areas of the country.

“Climate change...is a problem that’s complex and unpredictable,” said Feyissa. “We’re seeing an increase in heat, and a growing shift in the pattern of the seasons, which is confusing farmers.”

One of the lessons learned from the famine was that farmers needed more information and greater variety in the seeds they sow to cope with the effects of climate change, he added. For example, different varieties of sorghum can be planted at different times of the year to lessen the impact of climate variability.

Local seed banks will eventually enable farmers to boost their food security by practising sequential cropping rather than mono-cropping, Feyissa said.

Melaku Worede, who was head of the national gene bank during the 1984 famine, believes that developing specialised seed varieties should not just be a matter for scientists in laboratories.

It is essential to combine scientific knowledge with local farmers’ knowhow to meet their needs, giving communities ownership of the seed products, he argues, while acknowledging that this idea meets with scepticism from some local and international partners.

WOMEN COME OUT OF THE KITCHEN

Bayush Tsegaye

11th plenary session of Chefe Oromia kicks off

11th plenary session of Chefe Oromia kicks off

The fourth year 11th plenary session of Chefe Oromia has been kicked off today at Aba Gada Hall in the Adama.

Presenting report of the last four years’ of growth and transformation plan and the 2006 budget year, President of Oromia State Muktar Kedir stated that encouraging results have been registered with the major activities carried out in the budget year.

The council is expected to endorse the 2007 fiscal year budget of the state.

Cabinet of the state has proposed a bill of 30.5 billion Birr, for the coming year to the council which was said exceeds that of last year same period.

The session will last for three consecutive days, and the council is expected to discuss over various issues and pass decisions.

Source: FBC

Ethiopia: Investors to Bolster Support for Gerd

Investors declared that they would strengthen their support to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as it plays huge role in providing sufficient power supply for investment.
An investor called Tsegaye Abebe who has already bought 5 million birr bonds for the dam, added that he would continue supporting the project as much as he can.
The support extended by investors in particularly agriculture, agro-processing, industry and other similar sectors should be greater than the others because power supply is very crucial to the sectors, he added.
The other investor engaged in textile and garment, Fasil Tadesse, pledged to further extend financial support as the dam.
Tafesse Worku, another investor engaged in transportation sector, pointed out that the dam is all the more meaningful since the power generated in the country at prsent is not sufficient enough to enable Ethiopia to join the middle income countries.
He thus promised to continue purchasing bonds individually and collectively.
President of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, Solomon Afework, recalled that the association had bought 500,000 birr interest free bonds for the dam, adding that plans have been devised to further organize the support of the business community.
Source: ENA

Ethiopia, Italy Cooperate to Tackle Human Trafficking

Italy has announced that it works with African countries to tackle human trafficking.
Italian Foreign Affairs vice Minister, Lapo Pistelli talking to Ethiopian Foreign Affairs State Minister, Ambassador Birhane Gebrekirstos in Addis Ababa, said that his country is committed to work with Africa to tackle human trafficking.

Ambassador Birhane Gebrekirstos said in his part that Ethiopia is also ready to work on human trafficking for the problem needs to be addressed in a way that could provide a lasting solution.
Pestelli disclosed that his nation will establish Italian Foreign Trade Agency (ICE) branch office in some African countries including Ethiopia to support the countries' youth business efforts.
Ambassador Berhane Gebre-Kristos said the government of Ethiopia welcomes ICE's desire to open office in Addis Ababa and expressed the government's readiness to cooperate with Italy on all matters.
Pistelli and Birhane also discussed on bilateral issues as well as regional and transcontinental areas that affect Africa and Europe.

Source: Birhanu Alemu (reporter), MoFA