Arba Minch University, which was part of Innovative Technology Centre for Sustainable Development’s (iTCSD) stakeholders 1st meeting held at Adama Science and Technology University on 13th December, 2018, is expected to forge an alliance to exploit and promote potential of horticulture in Arba Minch. Click here to see the pictures
The meeting with a theme - ‘Sustainable development on water, agriculture and renewable energy’ was aimed at finding a model farm for water treatment, profitable agriculture products and renewable energy provision. It’s expected to improve quality of life of rural community and enable exchange of knowledge, promote mutually beneficial and multi-disciplinary collaborations among stakeholders.
The meeting begun with discussion on three sub-themes was followed by brief presentations from each sub-theme on experiences of participants and future plans. Later, iTCSD founder team of South Korea deliberated on the gaps identified during discussion and participants put forth certain recommendations to move ahead, strengthen and build the capacity in designated horticultural segments.
The team has decided to establish sericulture training and promotion center at Hawassa and strengthen existing one at Arba Minch, to scale up mushroom production in Addis Ababa and distribute ultrasound machines to selected rural health centers at Gamo, Gofa, Adama and Hawassa areas. It will strongly promote banana wine brewing in Arba Minch, usage of banana byproducts for biogas production and promotion of pyrolysis cooking stove, etc.
College of Agricultural Sciences’ horticulture department head, Mr Betewulign Eshetu, said, South Korean citizen, Prof Eugene Park of Nelson Mandela University of Tanzania, was deeply influenced having seen huge banana production in Arba Minch is contemplating to get us connected to beer brewing companies so that banana wine can be made and biogas can be produced by its byproducts. He also wants to build the capacity of existing sericulture center.
And by distributing and promoting innovative pyrolysis cooking stove, which has been improvised by one of the South Korean professor will minimize methane gas emission. He is also interested to collaborate with us on Plant Gene Bank as he already had funding available with him, Betewulign added.
In a nutshell, AMU is all set to get involved in mushroom production, banana processing and sericulture; and in the second stakeholders’ meeting modalities of signing of agreement in this regard will be hammered out and project is likely to be launched, he summed up. Officials from Hawassa University, NGO managers and representatives of ASTU were in attendance.
(Corporate Communication Directorate)