AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH MASTER PLAN

Abstract

The Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) is predominantly an agricultural Region. Agriculture dominates the economy heavily by employing over 90% of the labour force and contributing about 70% to the Regional Gross Domestic Product. Despite the hard working nature and discipline of the farming population, productivity is far too low due to, among others, lack of technology, deteriorating natural resource base, inadequate institutions and linkages. Population continues to increase while the carrying capacity of the land has been on the decline. 1.2. Although attempts have been made in the Region to change the situations through research and related development activities, their impacts on transforming the peasant agriculture to higher level of productivity have been minimal. 1.3. Cognizant of the significant problems and constraints associated with the development of the peasant agriculture, the Bureau of Agriculture of the Amhara National Regional State took a commendable step to get the Regional Agricultural Research Master Plan (RARMP) and a 20 year action plan formulated. The document is believed to be instrumental to make an impact on the traditional rain-fed agriculture through reorganization of the research system to be agro-ecology based, integrated, multi-disciplinary and demand oriented. 1.4. The overall goal of the Regional Agricultural Research Master Plan (RARMP) is to contribute to the transformation of the low input smallholder-rainfed-traditional agriculture into technology based agricultural production and promote agriculture-led industrialization. The Master Plan will play a central role in achieving this through promoting researches, providing baseline data and prioritizing actions. 1.5. The Master Plan was prepared in a consultative and participatory manner. The Client and stakeholders have been enabled to participate in the major steps of planning and implementation processes of the preparation that included, (i) strategic planning meeting with heads and senior researchers of the Research Centers, (ii) introduction, workplan presentation and discussion workshop under the auspices of BOA, (iii) meeting with the Master Plan Review Committee and (iv) review meetings with the Research Centers staff on locations.