Cyber Ethiopia

The strategy of food security in Ethiopia is tied with the overall development strategy of Agricultural Development-Led Industrialization (ADLI). This strategy is aimed at structural transformation of the economy in which a high growth of agricultural development is envisaged to raise the share of industry and social services in terms of output and employment. By and large the strategy of ADLI focuses primarily on agricultural development and this is to be attained through improvement of productivity in small holdings and expansion of large-scale commercial farms particularly in the lowlands. To complement the ADLI strategy, the government has adopted the agricultural extension programme since 1994/95 crop season. This new extension programme was formulated after critical evaluation of the past extension efforts practiced in Ethiopia. The new programme acknowledges

present thinking in extension philosophy that considers research, extension and education to be part of agricultural knowledge system. The new agricultural extension programme is therefore a programme, which is aimed at attaining food self-sufficiency by way of improving productivity through the dissemination of research-generated information and technologies. This programme mainly emphasizes on package approach to development. The extension package programme therefore consists of different components, which, among others, include the delivery of improved agricultural information, technologies, agricultural production inputs, and inputs credit. In addition, conducting practical training programme is an essential component of the new programme. The agricultural extension programme, which is sometimes called the package programme, focuses on environmentally conscious agricultural intensification programme which is currently implemented both in surplus producing and drought prone (moisture stressed) areas of the country. Thus, different package programmes which, among others, include cereal-based packages for both moisture reliable and moisture stressed areas, packages for high economic value corps, livestock development, post-harvest technologies, soil and water conservation and development and agro-forestry have been developed and implemented since 1994/95 crop season.