CAD 35 Million Cultivate Africa Future Fund Projects Launched

Addis Ababa May 17/2019 A 35-million-Canadian Dollar (CAD) projects of Cultivate Africa Future Fund (CultiAF) were launched in Addis Ababa today.

During the launching of the projects at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia Antoine Chevrier said “we are launching nine projects of the cultivate Africa’s Future Fund, a 35 million Canadian Dollar partnership with Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).”

The Ethiopia project is “worth 2.78 million Canadian Dollar and mainly focuses on sorghum production,” he added.

Sorghum is a staple food for more than 60 million Ethiopians, it was learned.

Australia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Peter Doyle said on his part Africa and Australia share similar environmental constraints and Australia has met food security challenges. “So Australian expertise and research are highly relevant to Africa,” he noted.

The project seeks to adopt climate-smart interventions for small-holder farmers by introducing climate resilient varieties of sorghum, among others, according to Doyle.

Ethiopian Institute for Agriculture Research Director-General, Mandefro Negusse said the project is significant to modernize agriculture with research and technology as well as build  human resource capacity.

Beneficiaries of the projects are reportedly Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda,   Zambia and Zimbabwe.