Abstract:
The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) includes seven countries o f the Horn o f
Africa. Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. The fieldwork reported in this
volume is part of an IGAD project to identify drought resistant crop varieties for the semiarid zones of
the Horn countries. INTSORMIL has been developing new sorghum and millet cultivars and associated
technologies in Africa with collaborative research for over two decades. So INTSORMIL submitted a
proposal to undertake this study in the spring of 1999. Fieldwork commenced in November 1999.
In the first phase of this project, IGAD requested a diagnostic study to include all crop technologies for
the semiarid zones. IGAD defined the objectives for country analysis as: describing the cropping
systems: identifying technology successes, potential successes, and constraints; analyzing the adequacy
of the national, regional, and international research systems; evaluating the extension systems especially
the linkages with farmers and researchers; examining seed supply and crop marketing issues; identify ng
the role of women with regard to the present farming system and new technology introduction; and
reviewing agricultural policies.
So the first phase o f this research project is a broad diagnostic study focusing on the agricultural
technologies that has been successfully introduced into the Horn o f Africa and the steps necessary to
rapidly introduce new crop technologies in the future. As requested, there is a strong emphasis on lessons
learned and what needs to be done.
The three volume series is directed to those concerned with research policy directions and with the
diffusion of new technologies. The study is expected to be of interest to donors, policymakers, research
administrators, researchers and those involved with moving technology onto the farm.
The study was funded from the REDSO/ESA office of USAID in Nairobi, directed by IGAD, and
implemented by INTSORMIL from Lincoln, Nebraska. A core team of five professionals was contracted
by INTSORMIL with IGAD concurrence. The team was composed o f an economist, a maize breeder, a
pathologist, a dryland agronomist, and an anthropologist. IGAD contracted two national scientists in each
of the countries except for Somalia. One was contracted to review research and one for extension in each
country.
This Volume 2 is the second of three Volumes in the INTSORMIL series on the identification of
potential technologies fo r semiarid areas in the Horn countries and includes the three country studies of
Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
The country studies are based upon field visits and interviews by both a core team and national
consultants. These country studies also include a bibliography of the relevant literature acquired in the
field and in Washington, D.C. People interviewed are indicated at the end o f each country report. The
core team was multi-disciplinary and multi-nationality. Individual authorship is assigned to each country
report. Reports by national consultants are cited in the references and are available from the authors.
Further background details on the specific objectives of the study and the names o f all the personnel on
the core team and the national consultants are available in Volume 1.
The core team and the national consultants are grateful for the information provided by public officials,
the private sector in general, and farmers of the semiarid regions in particular. This voluntary and
enthusiastic participation o f people in the region made this report possible. Expert editing and word
processing assistance were provided by Mary Rice, Joan Frederick, Dottie Stoner, and Kimberly Jones.