The document summarizes an intervention to scale up the adoption of agricultural technologies in Sidama, Ethiopia. Key aspects of the intervention included conducting adaptation trials of new crop varieties and technologies, providing training to extension agents and model farmers, and supplying inputs to participating farmers. As a result of the intervention, new varieties of wheat and barley were introduced. Chickpeas and soybeans also showed success. Problems encountered included lack of availability of the best-performing crop varieties and lack of focus on strategic crops like soybeans and chickpeas. Moving forward, establishing seed cooperatives and raising awareness of strategic crops is recommended.

1. Scaling up the Adoption of Agricultural Technologies – Evidence from
technology village woredas, Sidama Ethiopia
Introduction
Achieving greater agricultural development demands the innovative use of existing technologies and the
adoption of new technologies – both inputs and practices – that increase land and labor productivity, use
natural resources more efficiently, or enable farmers to tap markets that generate greater value and income,
thus increasing the economic resilience of rural households. Scaling is not new, but building on projects to
achieve high level impact. Sharing knowledge and skills is fundamental to the process of agricultural
innovation and the goal of scaling up adoption and use of innovations on their farm.
Design of Intervention
The intervention focused on Research for development approach to solve their problem. Farmers
participation was taken as key to do action research and pre scaling up operations. To that starting
with testing available technologies released from research centers. Training had be given for
extension agents and model farmers about the technologies. Inputs were supplied for those who
are participating in pre scaling up activities. The assumption was other farmers learnt the effect of
technologies from neighborhoods scaling up plot.
The low, mid and high land area crops are selected for scaling up program based on the result of
adaptation trail and suitability of agroecology. Maize, tef, common bean, chick pea and soy bean
are the selected crop for low and midland woredas of the region. Similarly Wheat, food barley,
malt barley and faba bean are selected for high land areas of the technology village districts.
Technology Transfer from plot to thousands
Graphical representation of Technology dissemination
SCALE OUT
PRODUCING FOR
MARKET
(NATIONAL OR
INTERNATIONAL)
ORGANIZING
FARMERS
AS SEED
PRODUCERS
PRE-SCALING
UP BEST BET
TECHNOLOGY
ADAPTATION/
DEMONSTRATION
TRAIL
5-10 farmers per kebele
2-5 FTC/woreda
30-50 cooperative
Thousands of
farmers
All of
farmers
Testing of released
technologies for
socioeconomic&
env’tcondition
to more farmers
by their Per.&
test result
Sustaining
Price
Production
Adoption of
best tech. &
Identify Gap

2. The best result achieved from the intervention
1. Farmers gets full information regarding the technologies through adaptation trail in the
FTC plot
2. New variety was introduced and adapted to more farmers in the region. Shorima variety of
wheat and Ebone variety of malt barley was introduced for the first time through the
program. Even though some
3. New crop and technologies had been introduced through the program. Chick pea and soy
bean are the most effective among the crops introduced and the inoculant for legumes are
the example of the intervention.

3. 4. The training of farmers and subject matter specialists had be create the awareness in area
of integrated soil fertility management, Integrated pest management and food preparation
for good nutrition intervention.
5. Improve women participation in any extension activities- The livelihood enhancement
training was given for women to earn higher income from her alternatives available in the
kebele. At least 25% of women are participated in any support of the technologies.
Training was given for those who participate nutrition sensitive agriculture activities
including soy bean and vegetable production and recipe preparation.

4. Problem encountered
Lack of some best performing crop variety in the market. For example Tay variety of wheat are
not available in the market but the best yield had been collected from adaptation trail in Hula and
Wondo Genet woredas.
Lack of focus in agriculture office for some strategic crops like soy bean, chick pea and white
common bean
Lack of readily available technology (variety) for stable food crops of the community i.e Ensete
ventricosum plant.
COVID-19 Responsive plan of 2020/21 and Achievements
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis with cascading socio-economic and
environmental effects on the food and agriculture sectors. Hawassa University has developed a
comprehensive COVID-19 response in order to assist community members according to their
specific context and needs. The pandemic demanded an organization wide concerted action, to
reduce the impacts of the pandemic on the agriculture and food sectors and assist the poor who
loses their income for better respond and avoid an increase in rural poverty and hunger.
In this context, the present plan gives attention to provides agricultural inputs to achieve in the
food and agriculture sector as government direction to cultivate all land suitable for crop growth.
Therefore, we support 220 quintal of cereals, 150 quintal of legumes and 21 kilogram of vegetable
seed as scaling up program for those poor and women farmers. A total 1760 farmers are benefited.
The intervention results shows that the young people who is working in the city before and now
the pandemic enforce to unemployment had been got the seed to grow with their land granted
from kebele and schools. No any of land is lifted without crop that cultivating. The performance
of wheat is good in field condition and the final yield estimation may come after month when crop
harvested. The seed distribution and area of land covered present in graph 1. In summary, HwU
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
2006 E.C 2007 E.C 2008E.C 2009E.C 2010 E.C 2011 E.C 2012 E.C
Year and Achivements
Scaling Up Training Field Day Total

5. gained major recognition as a key player on the supporting the community, especially through its
participation and contributions all round responses.
Ways Forward
1. Establishing seed multiplication cooperative or cluster in collaboration with Bureau of
Agriculture and other stakeholders must be needed.
2. Like soy bean and chick pea are high demanded market and their importance of those crops
for environment and labor use must be considered as strategic crop for sidama. Therefore,
awareness creation activates may need for future to scaling up.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Tef Chick pea Common bean Wheat Sum
Grph 1. Seed distribution and area in hectare
In hectare quienta

6. 3. More work must be need for stable crop like Ensete ventricosumt and the coffee
production and marketing issues.
Address
Hawassa University
Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer
P.o.box-05
Office phone-
Fax-