addis_stakeholder_techdev

=**Stakeholders’ Consultative Workshop**= =**Addis Ababa**= =**24-25 August 2010**=

Integrating/Linking Technology Development with Value Chain Development
The 'back-end' component of the Mega Program intends to focus on technology development on high-priority cross cutting issues: feeds, breeds, and health - where the Mega program expects to make biggest gains in productivity. This component is likely to work on:
 * Better performing breeds and breeding programs
 * Improving feed and forage resources and their use
 * Animal health

This session kicked off with two presentations illustrating real-life value chain development and how these interface with the envisaged technology development component.

Barbara Rischkowsky from ICARDA gave an example of a sheep-meat value chain in Ethiopia ([|download the presentation]). In this example, the approach would likely target the 'best bet' technologies that would raise productivity and help make this value chain work. Besides the emphasis on technological solutions, a huge amount of effort would also need be given to the delivery of services and the delivery of partnerships. The example illustrates how this type of approach generates questions and demands for knowledge on breeding strategies, forage and feeding options, and forage seed delivery.

Malcolm Beveridge (WorldFish Center) reported from recent discussions in Uganda where his organization and the government investigated aquaculture value chains in some detail([|download the presentation]). His presentation identified three chains - 'seed', 'feed', and 'fish.' During the visit they determined the scope of the aquaculture value chains, did a value chain analysis, and identified and did a preliminary prioritization of high priority technological interventions.

Examination of the 'seed' value chain revealed concrete demands for genetically improved fish. This technological effort would probably require a 5-10 year effort, to begin to have improved fish ready for the market. The 'feed' value chain revealed the need for (costly, often risky) feed extrusion technologies that could increase the productivity of aquaculture. The main issue in this case is that the technology works, but can it be made to work in this specific market context?

After these 'food for thought' presentations participants gathered in four groups to work on the following questions:


 * 1) For the identified value chains: What are the key constraints that can be addressed through the technology development component?
 * 2) For the identified value chains: What processes are needed to link value chain and technology research?

The outputs from each group are linked below:


 * Feeds - Michael Peters
 * Breeding/Genetics - Peter/Heifer
 * Post Production - Ghiday - need to look at other products (leather etc); environmental elements; slaughterhouses
 * Health - Phil (we recognize the need to go beyond infectious diseases, but our main focus is on infectious ones); need to include bioprospecting or consider other alternative - indigenous? - non-vaccine ways to control diseases. Beyond vaccines to be part of the research agenda? capacity building tools for better surveillance.