Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research MAAERE HICS PCIE RANT
Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center Rf Hee ICS CIC MIAN
Debre Zeit, Ethiopia ene net arene
Date 10 JUN 2013 Ret. No. (490 J 2.0/3
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Dr. Dawit Solomon,
Cornell University
Ithaca
USA
Subject: Letter of Interest in Developing a Concept Note on
Multidisciplinary Collaborative Project on Tef in Ethiopia
Dear Dawit,
As you know tef, while it is the most important cereal in Ethiopia, is an orphan or under-utilized
crop in the senes that it so far remained untapped in terms of research and development.
Consequently, a partnership project approach in tef research with relevant institutions in
developed countries such as the USA, is vital to undertake both basic and applied research and
thereby move to taking up the tef crop out of its orphanage
Indeed, our previous experiences with partenership project with Comell University through the
funding support of the McKnight Foundation Collaboarative Crop Research Program (MF-CCRP)
since the mid-1990's has demonstrated a good instance of substantial progress in tef research and
development. As such, the crop has now gained due recognition of the Ethiopian Government
partly due to the achievements registered through the MF-CCRP supported partnership tef project.
Nonetheles, a lot still remains to be done to boost the productivity and production of tef in
Ethiopia through proper identification and diagnosis of the major constraints and subsequent and
appropriate research and development interventions.
[As you may know, Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center has been the National Center of
Excellence and coordinator of the tef project in Ethiopia. To this end, the National Tef Project
Team at DZARC has been looking forward to opportunities for collaboartive project of mull
disciplinary nature in order to combat the major bottlenecks in tef production. We eamestly
believe that a mult-disciplinary collaboarative project would be vital for finding solutions to the
major constraints of tef production and thereby enhance the productivity and production of tef in
Ethiopia.
The National Tef Project coordinated from DZARC has got some scientific (research) and
technical personnel, and modest infrastructure and facilities such as office-lab complex. Besides,
there are sizable amounts of research fields and seed multiplication fields at the main center, its
five sub-sations (Minjar, Alem Tena, Chefe Donnsa, Akaki and Denbi.) and at the various
collaborating centers distributed all over the major tef growing regions of the country. However,
the national tef project still requires capacity enhancement in terms of personne, infrastructure and
facilities. cr
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P.O. Box32 Tel 251-4-33 85 55/33 8765 Fax 251-4-33 80 61 et
(Fin,While, the general picture of the status of the tef project in Ethiopia is as briefly outined above,
this is, therefore, to express, our heartfelt interest in the devlopment of a concept note for a multi-
disciplinary tef research project with the relevant units of Cornell University and Jima University.
Indeed, we believe that this is not only a matter of interest but rather a felt-need.
‘Thanking you in advance for your positive consideration, and looking forward to the
‘materialization of an effective partnership tef reserch project, we remain.
Sincerely,
$27 Idk 03 1008
Kebebew Assefa (PhD)
Senior Researcher and National Tef Project Coord
Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel. (mobile): +251-(0) 911-051640