Africa

US awards eight grants to Ethiopian enterprises

 USAID AGP-Livestock Market Development Project launches new Innovation Grants Fund

TheUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Agricultural Growth Program-Livestock Market Development project (AGP-LMD)hosted a grant signing ceremony between USAID and eight grantees on Wednesday Feb. 19th.  According to a statement from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, the eight small grants valued at over $760,000 will encourage local Ethiopian investment and innovation in the livestock sector. “The overall purpose is to improve productivity and competitiveness of selected livestock value chains including live animals, meat, and dairy.”

The first eight grants were awarded to: Addis Livestock Production and Productivity Improvement Service (ALPPIS), Emebet& Her Children Milk & Milk By-Products PLC, Ethio-Feed PLC, Project Mercy, OMO Micro Finance Institute Share Company, Kifiya Financial Technology PLC, Zemam Sintayehu Enterprise, and  Harme Milk & Milk By-Products PLC.

In his opening remarks USAID Ethiopia Mission Director, Dennis Weller said, “Ethiopia’s livestock sector has enormous potential to reduce extreme poverty and malnutrition.These grants are to spur local entrepreneurship and innovation as well as unblock obstacles to producing and marketing better or new products and, eventually, grow more jobs in livestock businesses”.

The goal of USAID’s AGP-Livestock Market Development project is to improve productivity, competitiveness, and profitabilityof activities related to dairy, meat and animal production, processing, and export. Through this new Innovation Grants Fund, USAID’s AGP-Livestock Market Developmentproject intends to award up to $5 million over the next three years. Each grant award may range from between $25,000 and $300,000.  The type of grant is determined based on the applicant’s need and proposed activities.  Successful grant applications will continue to address innovations and technologies that solve critical constraints along the value chain from farm to various markets.

USAID’s AGP-Livestock Market Development projectis funded by the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future (FTF) Initiative as part of the USG contribution to the Government of Ethiopia’s Agricultural Growth Program (AGP).

Caption: New grantees pose with USAID Ethiopia Mission Director Dennis Weller

(center front) and CNFA Chief of Party Marc Steen (center rear).

 Photo: US Embassy

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