The government is set to build the nation's 21st agricultural research centre in Southern Wollo Zone, Amhara Regional State. The centre, which will be used for developing, adapting and promoting agricultural technologies, benefiting 2.5 million farmers in sheep husbandry.

The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research will cover the cost of the centre that will be built in the area, which is prone to high soil erosion and characterised by recurrent drought. Southern Wollo is also known for mountainous terrain and frost and is disadvantaged from the agricultural sector due to natural factors and lower adoption of agricultural technologies.

The Amhara Agricultural Research Institute noticed the need for the centre, but since it cannot build it by itself, it solicited support from the federal government, according to Tilaye Teklewold (PhD), director-general of the regional Institute.

"The research centre can significantly contribute to the improvement of the livelihoods of the farmers by improving agricultural production and increasing crop and livestock productivity," said Tilaye.

Last week, the two institutes established a team to conduct feasibility and technical studies. Once the studies are concluded, the location will be selected and the design of the centre will follow, according to Tilaye, who added that the construction will commence during the next fiscal year.

However, the centre will start operations after two months in a temporary location. The federal Institute, which established two new agricultural research centres in Welqite and Debre Marqos and re-established Abobo Research Centre in Gambela Regional State last year, has availed 20 million Br to operationalise the centre at the temporary compound prepared by the regional research Institute.

Along with this centre, the regional Institute has requested the government build three research hubs in East Gojjam, Northern Gonder and Southern Wollo. The construction of a centre in Debre Marqos was already concluded last year, while the one in Southern Wollo is expected to commence this coming fiscal year.

Since the country and the Regional State have diverse ecologies, the varieties and agricultural technologies developed and adopted in other areas are not easily adaptive to another area with different ecological attributes. Agriculture contributes 33.3pc to the GDP and about 80pc of the population depends on agricultural.