ethiopia_partners_meeting_20150512


 * Date: ** 12 May 2015
 * Time ** : 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm


 * Venue ** : Info centre, ILRI campus, Addis Ababa


 * Attendees ** :

**Dirk Hoekstra** (ILRI), **Elias Damtew** (ILRI), **Ewen Le Borgne** (ILRI - taking notes), **Frederic Baudron** (CIMMYT), **Girma Kassie Tesfahun** (ICARDA), **Kindu Mekonnen** (ILRI\Africa RISING), **Kiros Hadgu** (ICRAF), **Lulseged Desta** (CIAT), **Mariama Fofana** (CIP), **Melkamu Derseh** (ILRI), **Nigussie** (ICARDA), **Peter Thorne** (ILRI),**Kalpana Sharma** (CIP-Ethiopia), **Siboniso Moyo** (ILRI), **Tigist Endashaw** (ILRI), **Tilahun Amede** (ICRISAT), **Valentine Gandhi** (IWMI), **Zelalem Lema** (ILRI), **Simret Yasabu** (ILRI\Africa RISING - taking notes),Biyensa Gurmessa, (CIAT-Ethiopia), **Peter Thorne** (ILRI), **David Kahan Gerald** (CIMMYT) ,
 * Tadesse Gashaw Asrat** (ICRISAT-Ethiopia)

+ on Skype: **Rolf Sommer** (CIAT), **Aster Gebrekirstos** (ICRAF)

1. Progress update from partner institutions 2. Feedback and discussion on 2015 and 2016 research protocols 3. Write-shop plans 4. Student research attachment for 2015 5. AOB
 * Meeting Agenda Items **


 * 1. Progress update from partner institutions**


 * IWMI**
 * implementing open washer
 * received solar pumps for small scale irrigation
 * training of farmers on Installation
 * 1-6 June there will be IWMI event in ILRI campus and will have opportunity to show the solar pumps

- Collecting bid documents for market shed designs. We just rejected all bid documents of the first round because of the submitted prices were ridiculously high. As soon as the designing is finalized, we will go to the construction of the sheds and the water troughs. -Data organization and cleaning finalized. - Data being analyzed.
 * CIP**
 * Implemented Belg season activities in Sinana, Lemo and Maichew
 * wellington was doing some survey and now he is cleaning the data
 * Mariama has a field trip to Lemo and Debre Birhan to discuss about nutrition research
 * CIMMYT**
 * waiting for the main raining season
 * received equipments(wheel tractors and ancillary equipment)
 * together with Zelalem and the site coordinators identified service providers to provide training
 * ICRAF**
 * walnut trees planted
 * nursery sites established in Sinana - due to high demand of Apple
 * developed protocol and it is being discussed
 * data collection on Apple and Avocado undergoing
 * ICARDA**
 * conducted Belg season planting on selected farmers
 * seven DLS(diffused light storage) constructed
 * post harvest technologies going on with CIAT
 * Economic impact of market facilities
 * Adoption and impact of food legumes


 * ICRISAT**
 * identification of potential collaborators for the main season

There is a plan to organize a write shop for Africa RISING researchers and scientists to produce some scientific papers. Participants discussed how to proceed about it and it was suggested Peter Thorne to send out email to Africa RISING team to submit drafts idea on what to produce. After that we will decide to hole one in July and if we have more to do another one in October. 
 * CIAT**
 * cross learning event - jointly organized with ILRI on water conservation and water management
 * working on Protocol based on previous activities
 * will produce a report before June
 * ILRI**
 * irrigated fodder production (Oat and Vetch)
 * started experimenting on intercropping
 * identified private companies and government nurseries to plant tree lucern
 * attached a student to measure the biomass
 * PVS trial on Enset started in Lemo
 * Elias and Annet went to the field for d ata collection for characterization of gender-based constraints to sustainable intensification
 * two Kebele IP meetings conducted in Basona and Endamehoni
 * Survey on sustainable intensification is being carried out by Vine
 * cross learning visit organized together with CIAT
 * 2. Feedback and discussion on 2015 and 2016 research protocols**
 * 32 new research protocols were submitted
 * very good coverage of the topics
 * shows there is a potential continuity of partnership between centers
 * some centers have been very ambitious of Africa RISING budget support
 * with regard to operational cost- the position is for ILRI to maintain it as much as possible
 * if the operational cos is transferred to CGIRA center it will be considered as overhead and it might lead to 15-20% budget cut
 * Peter Thorne will meet with specific centers to have a discussion on their budget proposal
 * out of the 32 new proposals most will go through while 2-3 won't
 * 3. Write-shop plans**
 * 4. Student research attachment for 2015**
 * we have a total of 18 students attached to Africa RISING
 * there is a plan to attache 10 MSC and 5 PHD students for the year 2015
 * this opportunity will only be given to local partners
 * equipments(laptop computers and their accessories ) are also purchased with a total amount of 86 000 usd . Donation MOU is being proceeded to hand over to Universities
 * Action Points: to select the 15 students it was suggested to identify research idea and announce it for our local partners.The focuse will be on our seven thematic areas . as much as possible we will consider gender balance and geographical distributions.
 * 5. AOB**
 * Peter Thorne, Siboniso Moyo, Peter Ballantyne and Kindu Mekonnen will be traveling to Washington DC to meet with other Africa RISING project team ,USAID and IFPRI to discuss on the second phase of Africa RISING project
 * There is a plan to hold Africa RISING science symposium in Mail in October . Progress will be shared in due course