More than 11,000 farmers engage in regular, household extension program in Harari state

Harar, August 26, 2006 (WIC) - More than 11,000 farmers have been engaged in regular and household agricultural extension program in Harari state this season ,the regional Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau said.

Bureau head , Abdurkadir Adem, told WIC today that the rainy season is suitable for farming despite its negative consequences in some parts of the country.

He said 51 development agents deployed in 17 rural kebeles have thus been providing training and education on crops and backyard vegetables development, animal rearing, post-harvest technology ,soil and water conservation.

Efforts would also be made to engage farmers in household agricultural packages so that they could become food self-sufficient in short period of time by producing various backyard vegetables and crops, he added.

According to Abdurkadir ,the bureau has been supplying over 2,000 quintals of fertilizers, 100,000 quintals of select wheat and haricot bean seeds, and pesticides to farmers engaged in the extension program since last month.