Postharvest Management Strategy in Grains in Ethiopia 2018.

This Postharvest Management Strategy in Grains is a nationwide sectoral document aiming at ensuring proper and better utilization of the grain crops produced in Ethipia in order to ensure better nutrition for the growing population. To achieve the gaol, the Strategy sets out a series of objectves resulting from the reduction, both quantitatively and qualitatively, of the postharvest losses along the agricultural value chains of grains, which are (i) food security as well as food safety; (ii) increased incomes for the agricultural sector; (iii) national economic development which aims to build a market economy in which (a) a broad spectrum of the Ethiopian people are beneficiaries; (b) dependence on food aid is eliminated; and (c) rapid economic growth is assured. Other goals of the Strategy next to the aforementioned main goal are (i) improving agricultural input and output market efficiencies for grains; (ii) improving access to financing and investment for improved postharvest loss management practices; and (d) supporting sustainable value addition enterprises throughout the agriculture value chain. Cross-cutting issues of significance to postharvest management systems including gender, youth, HIV/AIDs, environmental factors and agricultural information management shall be mainstreamed in all activities undertaken towards the attainment of the above specific objectives.
The indispensable factors for the success of the Strategy are identified in the document in (i) a demonstrating concretely strong political will and financial budgetary commitment; (ii) establishing strong monitoring and evaluation system ; (iii) creating effective PPP partnerships; (iv) establishing the requisite infrastructure to support agricultural development; and (v) mainstreaming gender particularly women, youth, health, social, environmental and other such disciplines to collectively drive the Strategy.