Ethiopia makes strides to address post-harvest losses
Stakeholders observe first Post-Harvest Management Week with a call for strengthened coordination and policy framework
11 December 2019, Addis Ababa - Stakeholders in Ethiopia observed the first National Post-Harvest Management Week with a call for enhanced coordination and policy frameworks to reduce post-harvest losses in the country.
“Post-harvest management is a priority of the government, in efforts to achieve food security and economic development of the country, “said Mr. Abdo Abdulsemed, the Advisor of the State Minister of Agriculture.
The 2019 National Post-Harvest Management Week observed from 06 - 09 December 2019 in Addis Ababa, aimed to raise awareness of the extent, causes, as well as technologies for reducing post-harvest losses. It also sought to enhance the involvement of stakeholders in the implementation of the Post-Harvest Management Strategy in Grains.
The events of the Week included the Second International Conference of the Ethiopian Society of Post-harvest Management, presentations, panel discussions, exhibitions, and market visits. They provided a platform for about 120 participants, including researchers, academics, development partners, civil society, the private sector, and policymakers to learn, share information, and build networks. Several innovations and technologies were showcased during the Week.
Post-harvest loss still a significant challenge, despite ongoing efforts
According to a 2017 study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Ethiopia, post-harvest loss of maize, wheat, haricot bean, and sorghum is 15, 14, 21 and 27 percent respectively. Losses occur between production at the farm level through to consumption.
As part of the implementation of the Post-Harvest Management Strategy in Grains, the government of Ethiopia approved duty-free tax for post-harvest handling technologies and raw materials such as galvanized sheet metal for fabricating metal silos.
With funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Federal Republic of Germany, FAO is supporting the government of Ethiopia to develop appropriate policy frameworks and promote post-harvest management technologies and practices in Ethiopia.
Ms. Fatouma Seid, the FAO Representative in Ethiopia, said, “With about 80 percent of Ethiopia’s population drawing their livelihoods from agriculture, finding sustainable solutions for post-harvest losses holds tremendous promise for enhancing the livelihood and food security of the population”.
Recommendations
Noting that Ethiopia’s National Post-Harvest Management Strategy covers only grains, the participants of the National Post-Harvest Management Week recommended that its scope be expanded to include horticultural crops and animal products. They also called for the establishment of a dedicated coordinating structure within the Ministry of Agriculture to provide leadership on post-harvest management issues. Other recommendations were enhancing national capacities in post-harvest management, building and strengthening public-private partnership linkages and developing regulatory guidelines for post-harvest practices.
The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Ethiopian Post-Harvest Management Society, and FAO organized the National Post-Harvest Management Week.
Contact:
Rachel Nandelenga, Communication Expert
FAO Representation in Ethiopia
+251-900806675