The Kobo Project, located in the Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia, is one of the many demonstration activities established
under the special cooperation program developed by MASHAV, the
Center for International Cooperation of the Israel Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the United States Agency for
International Development.
The Kobo Valley lies some 600 km north of
the capital Addis Ababa, on the road leading to Mekele. The Valley
is surrounded, both on the east and west, by high mountains, some
over 2500m high, whereas the Valley itself is
1500m above sea level; the mountains west of the Valley rise up to
4000m, and provide the main source of water streaming in the rivers.
The Kobo Valley stretches over an area of 50,000 hectares and its
land is very fertile, as it originates from the surrounding
mountains. Nevertheless, agriculture in the region is still on a
subsistence level, plowing is done by oxen and irrigation is exposed
to climactic hazards. The sowing seasons are tied to the rain
seasons and yields are dependent on the quantity of rainfall. The
main produce are cereals, teff (the local wheat) and sorghum, these
crops being drought resistant. Maize is sometimes grown, though in
small quantities (as it is sensitive to aridity) and very few
vegetables. Onions, chillies and tomatoes are grown nearer to sources
of water, yet yields are still low.
Most of the rivers crossing the valley from west to east are
affected by the dry season, and stream only during the rainy season.
The supply of water for the project originates from the Gulina
River, that flows all-year-round. The climate is characterized by
two rainy periods: a short one, from February to April, and a longer
one that extends from June to September. The Kobo region is defined
as semi-arid, due to the relatively modest quantity of rainfall -
around 400mm but rarely exceeding 1000mm. On the other hand, the
area can be very dry, with no rainfall for long periods, as was the
case in the 1980s, when the Kobo Valley was most affected by
drought. During the very hot years, temperatures may rise up to 35
degrees C; the average temperature in the region is 30 degrees C.
During the rainy season, a great quantity of water pours down on the
region; the rivers, filled to the brim, gush into the desert and
water is lost. Some of this water is carried via canals to be used
for irrigation. During the dry years, cattle are used mostly for
plowing and for milk, however, they are the first to suffer from the
drought, and farmers consequently lose their main source of income
(milk and meat). Historically, the area was not always so desolate.
Damage to the land began to occur when tractors, once used to plow
the land, were confiscated and and replaced by oxen, and crop yields
decreased when proper fertilizers and appropriate pesticides were no
longer used.
The Kobo irrigation project is based on the broader infrastructure
of a dam erected on the Gulina River, some 20 km south of Kobo. From
that dam a canal was dug, carrying the water into the farmers'
fields, enabling them to exploit the river's water to flood-irrigate
their crops.
Three different systems of irrigation are practiced on the project:
- high pressure sprinkling for crops such as maize, sorghum and
teff;
- low pressure drip irrigation for vegetable growing;
- low pressure permanent sprinkling for vegetable watering.
The water is pumped from the central canal and filtered in order to
prevent clogging of the sprinklers. To improve traditional
agricultural methods, the project displays an advanced sowing
system. instead of the usual method of sowing, scattering seeds over
an entire field, planting in rows has been adopted to enable farmers
to better care for their various crops. Plowing in depth also
improves the rooting of the plants, and allows permeation of water
and fertilizers, whereas traditional plowing (oxen) is superficial,
and creates a compact layer of upper soil that impedes the deep
penetration of water. The correct use of fertilizers and
pesticides is constantly employed for improved and more abundant
yields.
The results of the first trial were encouraging, and procured the
farmers with an adequate income. The main crops were cereals (barley
and sorghum), maize and teff, vegetables (tomatoes,chillies, and
onions), and yields obtained were between 8 to 10 times larger than
those produced by traditional methods.
Several objectives guided the realization of the project:
- To display the potentials of utilizing a natural source of water
for the irrigation of agricultural cultivation;
- To demonstrate the agro-technology of working the land in depth,
and preparing for the sowing of planting in rows;
- Proper fertilization and timing, as well as adequate use of
pesticides;
- To promote larger cycles and maintaining clean fields ("farming
culture");
- Instructing farmers on how to plan their daily schedule, learn to
discern problems arising in the field, and finding proper solutions;
- training on farm management and cost-efficiency, as well as plant
cultivation to attain maximum yield;
- The importance of marketing good quality produce and
income-generation (buying inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers, etc.)
Eight families participate in the Kobo Project, which extends over
an area of 7.5 hectares. Each family works about half a hectare,
with the objective being to extend the cultivated area up to 10
hectares. The Kobo Project is supervised by an Israeli agricultural
expert. The goal is to reach a level of sustainability, and then to
hand it over to a local manager after the second season's yields in
November 1997. Influence of the project on the close environs is
greatly felt, due to the high yields obtained. These results are
directly linked to the use of appropriate agro-technology. the
results were so impressive, that it was decided to allocate some
10,000 hectares - about one-fifth of the entire Valley - to advanced
irrigation systems for the cultivation of cereals and vegetables and
the planting of orchards. Only 10 years ago the area was so desolate
that its inhabitants suffered from starvation, or were forced to
abandon their property in despair.
The MASHAV-USAID project endeavors to focus on modern agricultural
technologies, promote economic ventures as well as international
cooperation. It reflects Israel's dedication to share with others
advanced technologies, know-how, human resource enrichment and
practical experience, gained in agricultural and rural development.