The Ethiopian Government recognises SNV's work in the dairy sector

In Ethiopia, SNV is implementing the Enhancing Dairy Growth in Ethiopia (EDGET) project to improve household income and nutritional status of children through increased dairy production and enhanced dairy processing and marketing.

During the first national Livestock and Fisheries Week (15-19 November), SNV was awarded by the Government of Ethiopia for its achievements in the dairy sector in the Amhara region. Three SNV-supported farmers were also awarded for their positive work in the Amhara and SNNP regions.

The EDGET project, which has a duration of five years (2013-2017) and it is funded by the Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands, involves 51 districts of Amhara, Oromia and SNNP regions.

The project distributed 40 tonnes of forage seed, 21.8 million cutting/splits, and 100,000 milking and transportation can (MTS) to 65,000 targeted and 35,000 non-targeted households. The project trained 1,500 dairy extension service providers, linked dairy farmers with agro-input dealers, and supported the enhancement as well as the establishment of dairy processing units (DPU). In addition, 50 agro-input dealers and 53 dairy processing units were supported to create market access and job opportunities for smallholder dairy farmers.

The EDGET regional manager Yenenew Bezabih, after receiving the award from the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Mulatu Teshome and the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Fekadu Beyene, acknowledged the importance of the award in attracting more dairy farmers to increase dairy production for the market and to improve the nutritional status of children.