The importance of collaboration and innovation

Written by Dita Beshada, Cooperative Advisor in Ethiopa

Wheat post-harvest losses significantly reduce both food quantity and quality, especially during long-term storage. Farmers face challenges due to high mechanisation costs, unaffordable for middle-class and poor farmers, and price instability caused by brokers.

In Ethiopia, traditional wheat post-harvest methods result in severe losses, affecting food security, nutrition, and finances. Amentae et al. (2016) and Desalegn et al. (2017) estimate wheat post-harvest loss in Dodola and Adaba at 17.1%. Mechanisation services, like combine harvesters, play a vital role in reducing losses by enabling timely and efficient harvesting, mitigating risks from adverse weather.

• Taskforce Committees: Establishment of taskforce committees for each kebele in Dodola and Adaba woredas to oversee post-harvest management.
• Affordable Pricing: Agreement on a reduced price for combiner harvesting services, set at 200 birrs per 100kg, compared to the previous brokers’ price of 350 birr per 100kg. This represents a significant cost reduction of 150 birr per 100kg from the last harvesting season.
• Immediate Impact: The workshop resulted in immediate benefits for farmers, providing them with more affordable access to combiner services, thereby helping to reduce post-harvest losses.

Mr. Jewaro Bedaso, General Manager of Wirtu Kechema Wheat Seed Producer Cooperative, expressed gratitude to Agriterra Acting Now for organising this valuable workshop. The cooperative, comprising 102 members, successfully acquired 350,000 kg of improved wheat seed. During the workshop, a fixed handling price of 200 birrs per 100 kg of wheat was established, significantly lower than the 300 birrs charged by brokers. This cost-saving measure resulted in approximately 350,000 birrs in savings for the cooperative, effectively addressing the challenges posed by fluctuating broker prices.

Abdullatif Kedir, a post-harvest handling expert from the West Arsi Zone Agriculture and Land Resource Office, said that the wheat post-harvest handling and mechanisation services workshop significantly benefited the Adaba and Dodola woredas. A total of 44,415 wheat farmers (39,157 males and 5,258 females) from these areas, including project intervention kebeles were benefited. Following the workshop, farmers gained access to combine harvesters at affordable prices. “I expressed my appreciation and gratitude to the Agriterra Acting Now project for drafting the methodology and initiating the event’’.