Inoculants Production, Distribution & Marketing Challenges Scaling Chickpea Technologies for Increased Production and Productivity of Smallholder Farmers in Major Chickpea Producing Areas of Ethiopia Inoculants Production, Distribution & Marketing Challenges Dejene Woldemariam CEO, Menagesha Biotech Industry PLC Project Launch and Planning Workshop 15 April, 2015 ILRI Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Outline of the presentation Brief introduction of the company Input (Inoculants) production and distribution: Past Experiences Key Challenges in input production and distribution Planning for 2015 Potential Partnership on this project

Brief introduction of the company Menagesha Biotech Industry P.L.C. (MBI) is a local privately owned modest enterprise established in 2012 by three Ethiopian professionals With the aim of producing and distributing bio- fertilisers for major legume crops of the country to be expanded to others crops in the coming years.

Brief introduction of the company The National Soil Centre under the Ministry of Agriculture is the pioneer in producing and promoting the use of bio-fertilizer in the country successfully After signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Centre, the Technology transfer arrangement has been made The setup is approved by the National Soil Centre and the they also provided the start-up-capital

Brief introduction of the company The production section of MBI is led by a PhD with extensive experience MBI Currently employs 17 staffs Microbiologist 2 Biologist 2 Technicians 3 Support Staff 10

Input (Inoculant, seed) production and distribution: Past Experiences MBI currently offers to its clients rhizobia inoculants for the following leguminous crops: Faba beans, field pea, Chickpeas, Haricot beans, Soybeans, Lentil, Mung beans. Other products like phosphate solubilizing micro organisms and Bio pesticides shall be produced in future. During its establishment year MBI produced and distributed 30,000 packets The second year we produced 70,000 packets

Equipment and Facilities

Equipment and Facilities

Equipment and Facilities

key Challenges in Input production and Distribution The key Challenges in Input production and Distribution include: Lack of distribution channels No Institution to popularize inoculants in Ethiopia

Planning for 2015 At present it has developed the capacity to produce and distribute 150,000 packets, enough for 37,500 hectares of land. With the assistance of this project: The capacity of the rhizobium strain producing unit will be strengthened through purchase of additional laboratory equipment And the capacity will grow to produce and distribute 250,000 packets, enough for 62,500 hectares of land.

Potential Partnership Menagesha Biotech Industry Plc. (MBI) for producing and supplying bio-fertilizers, Bale-Green and Tsehay Union for multiplication and supply of improved chickpea seeds; and The public research and extensions organizations for the implementation of an AGRA-SSTP supported project.

Potential Partnership Major activities to be carried out under this project include: Production of a minimum of 90,000 packets of inoculants To develop production, distribution and marketing strategies for rhizobium inoculants Establish and strengthen a minimum of five distribution channels for rhizobium strains and NPS fertilizer using FPCUs and/or agro-dealers Technical backstopping to FPCUs and/or agro-dealers to improve the handling and timely delivery of rhizobium strains to smallholder farmers

Thank you!