As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the seed sector in Oromia, ENSP in collaboration with Oromia BoA organized a one-day workshop at the Pyramid Hotel in Bishoftu on 31 August 2024. The event aimed to discuss the status and key challenges of the seed sector in Oromia, as well as to deliberate on the draft document for the establishment of regional seed coordinating body and to set the way forward.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders from various offices relevant to the seed sector, including representatives from the Bureau of Agriculture (BoA), agricultural input regulatory authority, agricultural research institute, seed enterprise, cooperative promotion agency, and Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI).
Mr. Teshoma Bogale, IQQO Director General and BoA delegate, officially opened the workshop and emphasized the crucial role of strengthening seed sector coordination to overcome systemic challenges. This set the stage for insightful presentations by Dr. Ashine Bogale, advisor to Oromia BoA that shed light on the immense potential and the existing challenges in the seed sector. Dr. Mohammed Hassena, ENSP manager, presented the long experience of ISSD to overcome complex problems in the seed sector.
The challenges sparked a serious discussion among participants. To address these issues, a draft document proposing the establishment of seed sector coordination and technical committees at the regional level was presented by Mr. Takela Kurunde of BoA. Subsequently, participants engaged in group discussions on: defining the specific role of BoA in the seed sector; improving the proposed structure for the seed coordination committee, and identifying key challenges that the committee should give a priority to address. This marked a pivotal moment for charting a path forward in addressing the complexities of Oromia’s seed sector.
As the workshop came to an end, it was decided that an expert group would be established, consisting of representatives from Oromia BoA, Oromia ATI, and ENSP. Their main tasks would be to synthesize the key outcomes of the workshop, finalize the document outlining the role and responsibilities of the seed coordinating body, and prepare a comprehensive presentation that clearly highlights the effect of current practices on the seed sector of the region to bring to the attention of decision makers.
As we look ahead, it is evident that this workshop marks a significant milestone in the journey towards revitalizing the seed sector in Oromia. With continued collaboration and proactive measures, the project is poised to witness tangible improvements that will benefit farmers, communities, and the agricultural sector as a whole. This, however, requires the full commitment of actors in the seed sector.
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