FAO launches new project to support Ethiopia’s livestock sector
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, has today launched a project that aims at enhancing the livestock sector in Ethiopia.
The project, Improved Animal Health Service Delivery- Pursuing Pastoral Resilience (PPR), is designed to boost the social and economic importance of livestock at the household and national level by improving animal health service delivery.
Ethiopia is rich in livestock resources which constitute an important asset and livelihood base for the majority of the population engaged both in mixed crop-livestock farming and pastoral production coupled with very insignificant commercialized systems. However the sector’s input to the country’s food security and poverty alleviation is minimal compared to its potential. It has always been affected by disease related constraints.
Speaking at the launching workshop, Dr Gebreegziabher Gebreyohannes, state minister of the Ministry of Agriculture for Livestock Development, said that Ethiopia has given due attention to the sector in the first phase of country’s growth and transformation plan (GTP), which will come to an end this year. MoA “is using different strategies to develop the sector in the coming GTP,” he said adding the second phase of GTP will also contribute to the government’s effort to develop the sector.
The project is funded by the European Union under its SHARE program amounting 9.3 million Euros to implement a progressive control program for peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as sheep and goat plague, a highly contagious animal disease affecting small ruminants.
The project, which will be carried out for 42 months period during 2014-2017, is expected to build the capacity of federal, regional and district level public veterinary services and the private sector service sector along with the public private partnership (PPP) approach.
Cover photo: An Ethiopian shepherd
Photo: ILRI
