The National Pump & Engine Testing Centre, which tests and certifies locally produced and imported small-scale irrigation pumps and engines, was launched last week. Built for 19.1 million Br financed jointly by the Netherlands and Canada, the Centre is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture. Officially launched by State Minister of Agriculture Kaba Urgessa (PhD), the Centre was handed over to Teshale Belihu, director-general of the Ethiopia Conformity Assessment Enterprise (ECAE). "Ensuring quality of pumps and engines is crucial to increase agricultural productivity of small-scale irrigation," Kaba said during the inauguration ceremony. About 20pc of the imported machines are dysfunctional and carry a huge cost, according to the State Minister.
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