Comments,+questions+and+feedback+on+the+presentations

Questions for the presenters:

 * You have excluded the higher institutions a number of seedlings are introduced this year and they’re having a very important role
 * Open grazing – zero grazing – these days it is recommended to put livestock outside rather than in-door. Graze on zone farm land and it is not zero grazing. The challenge is with area closure, we have to think of the habitation. There is a mechanism like what the got like villagization . And this has to be strengthened.
 * Ethiopia is going to improve the livestock productivity for export. We have to de-stock how this two objectives can be balanced. Either their might be some specialization area or other mechanism.
 * DA’s don’t have adequate knowledge. DA’s are getting training at different places. Issue is the turn over – practically. Could be a matter of incentives. This needs to be seen in a multi-dimensional way.
 * No strong forestry extension. Do they give the same focus as that of livestock and crop.
 * Tissue culture should be enhanced but there are also some start ups that happened already. What is the meaning of enhanced should we scale it out in some regions or is there a problem to start and promote tissue culture in some areas.
 * Open grazing is an issue in the protected areas and through by-laws and in Tigray good results were seen. But it should be community ownered and community participation should be there. It should be focused on how to use the rehabilitated areas for landless associations. We need to develop guidelines for those. By-laws are good but guidelines are not there for proper usage of the rehabilitated areas.
 * When we talk about zero grazing, the issue is what alternative do we have for the farmers. Unless we give big options laws wouldn't work
 * In Ethiopia, how do you de-stock one option is by bringing horses, mules to plough or use tractors. This issues can’t be solved by laws only there should be options as well.
 * Is agriculture crop production only?
 * All NRS concentrate on crop production. Livestock, forestry is given very few percentage. Natural resource conservation is very important. We should have a balanced research system. Extension system on forestry is not there. Forestry has a great contribution to climate change. Integrated approach is very important
 * What makes sense is on forestry extension – have we done a systematic research on forestry. So that we can advise the government. What is the objective of tree planning in this country? Is it timber production? Agro-forestry? Or what is it? Is there an integrated study made so far.

Answers from the group members and chairs:

 * On DA’s it boils down to what type of DA’s we need. Specialized or general DA’s. We have as many DA’s as Indians have. How do we improve the quality of the DA’s. Are we giving them the right information. Are we sure that we’re planting the right trees at the right place. The state must play an active role. Awareness, incentives and penalties. Exertion is a policy instrument and it is the role of the state to make this happen.
 * Tissue culture – is important and we have experience in some regions like Tigray for fruit trees. At Holleta also we have tissue culture. There can be some challenges but we can use this for mass propagation.
 * There are some efforts made nationally but needs to be strengthened. Are the seedlings surviving? And we can go to the other technologies.
 * Grazing : the farmers should have agro-forestry production and enhanced productivity. The benefit is for the livestock as well. There is also a control grazing in some months of the year and this can also be used as an alternative. We need to enclose that area for interventions
 * Livestock productivity vs de-stocking: reducing the no of livestock. We need to emphasize on quality of livestock production. We are not saying affecting the livestock productivity for exporting. We need to have well developed, market oriented livestock production system. Every farmer should focus on small no. of livestock.
 * By-law: is designed by the community with some support from the DA. A good guideline is needed that shows proper utilization of resources.
 * How to reduce oxen: It is difficult to reduce oxen. If farmers focus on fattening and they give emphasis on market like the experience in Hararge.
 * Focus on crop production needs to change. In Ethiopia, what we need is the extension depends on the research. We are not supported to bring good researchers get new technologies. Forestry research is not given support and emphasis. We have DA’s but do we have the right package. We have comparative advantages. Income security is important for farmers and this has to be accepted by our policy makers. We need high capacity research to convince our policy makers
 * Competence is not there. Training for DA’s is always there but it didn't take the integration.
 * The whole issue raised here should reach the MoA. There must be situation from MoA.
 * There are thousands of schools. They can be good potentials.