Abstract:
Agricultural Growth Program (AGP) is a multifaceted investment program supporting
agricultural productivity and commercialization focusing on high agricultural potential
areas. It is one of the key investment mechanisms for development partners and the
government. Following completion of the first AGP (AGP-I), the second AGP (AGPII)
was designed on the basis of the lessons and best practices drawn from AGP-I to
improve implementation and maximize the overall impact of the program. The overall
objective of AGP-II is to increase agricultural productivity and commercialization of
targeted smallholder farmers and contribute to dietary diversity and consumption at
household level.
The study was conducted in samples of AGP-II districts from Oromia Region.
Accordingly, Ambo district was selected from West Shewa Zone while Grar Jarso was
identified to be representative of North Shewa Zone. Woliso district was also selected
as one of the samples from southwest Shewa Zone. The farming community, zonal
and district agriculture professionals, agricultural researchers and NGOs were the
major sources of information for the study. Qualitative participatory approaches
including focus group discussions, key informant interviews, proportional piling
techniques, matrix rankings, historical analysis, and other tools were used to collect
the required information and address the objectives. Exhaustive desk review was also
made as a supplementary approach to capture sets of information from print and
electronic media. This report, therefore, presents the findings of the study and
proposes options of recommendations that help address the identified constraints.
