Addis Ababa, August 02, 2016(WIC)– The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) says it has attained 91 percent of its targeted plan in the concluded budget year.
Deputy Director of the Institute, Dr Adugna Wakejira told WIC that the institute has achieved 91 percent of its plan for new agricultural technology delivery, release breeder seeds and capacity building trainings for the farmers across the country in the last budget year.
According to Dr Adugna, the institute has managed to provide 502 different items of new agricultural technologies for the beneficiaries. Its plan was to offer a total of 554 agricultural technologies.
The Institute has released about 49 improved seeds of crops, pulses and fruits to the farmers across the country, Dr Adugna underscored. 49 of the released seeds were evaluated and accepted by the national seed approval committee, he reiterated.
Dr Adugna noted that the institute has trained about 40,905 farmers involved in different agricultural packages in order to facilitate adaptation of the farmers to the new agricultural technologies and to provide recommendations.
The Institute also has undertaken activities to withstand impact of the drought caused by the El Nino by releasing drought resistant and fast growing varieties of sorghum, green Mung and teff species, Dr Adugna underlined.
Furthermore, the institute has duplicated various productive types of grasses to resolve the shortage of animal fodder in the drought affected areas of the country, he indicated.
The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) undertakes agricultural researches to produce new agricultural technologies and practices suitable to weather conditions, landscape and ecology of the country, walta learnt.