Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Long-term Europe-Africa Research and Innovation Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture

Titre : ASMA : Appropriate Solutions for Mechanisation of Agriculture in Ethiopia

Pays/Région : Ethiopia

Date : Start date 2013-06-01 // End date 2018-12-31

Identifiant : 449-ASMA
Type de projet : Development and innovation oriented (research) project

Présentation
The project Appropriate Solutions for Mechanisation in Agriculture (ASMA) is a public-private partnership funded by the Dutch tractor company Rumptstad, the Ethiopian engineering company TGT Enterprise, and the Dutch FDOV Facility (RVO). Wageningen UR (Alterra and CDI) provides technical advice on bio-physical and socio-economic aspects of the introduction of the two-wheel tractors in the Tigray region. Given their size, the two-wheel tractors are mainly used on small farms (0.5-2 ha). Lease constructions and tractor renting services are currently being piloted. Post-sale services are provided by local outlets of TGT Enterprise in small towns close to the farmers’ fields. The project’s final aim is for TGT Enterprise and Rumptstad to assemble 2-wheel tractors in Ethiopia, where TGT Enterprise sells and leases them to rural entrepreneurs and cooperative unions. Two-wheel tractors provide a welcome solution to the challenges of FHH : (i) They are easy to manage on small plots and more affordable to smallholders, (ii) Two-wheel tractors are much more efficient in ploughing than oxen ploughing -oxen ploughing takes 4 days/ha whereas two-wheel tractors cantackle multiple hectares per day, (iii) TGT Enterprise engages in special arrangements for women cooperatives/unions to make the tractors available. These cooperative/unions lease the tractors from TGT Enterprise and they provide (paid) services to the members.

This public-private partnership project will enable Ethiopian smallholder farmers and farmer’s cooperatives to lease and buy affordable two-wheel tractors for soil preparation of the seed bed / fields, supported by a business case. Mechanisation in the agricultural and horticulture sector in Ethiopia is still in its infancy stage. The use of the more than 2,000 years old existing practice of oxen using a ‘maresha’ is common practice for most farmers, but is also expensive for farmers without oxen. Four-wheel tractors are on the market but are too costly for cultivating small and scattered plots. Attempts to introduce two-wheel tractors for mechanisation have failed because a successful after-sales and maintenance operation was not established. The Rumptstad two-wheel tractor is a tractor that can be used for soil tillage, seed drilling, weeding, transport, threshing and pumping on heavy soils. After the successful demonstrations and use of the Rumptstad tractors in different sites and demo fields in four regions in the highlands of Ethiopia it is expected that its use will contribute greatly to surplus yields.

Coordinateur : TGT Enterprise
Partenaires : Machinefabriek Steketee BV (Rumptstad) Wageningen University & Research (WUR) Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Financement principal : Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
Co financement : Machinefabriek Steketee BV (Rumptstad)
Budget : 2 062 895 EUR

FNSSA project database