Fadis Agricultural Research Center (FARC)

 

Establishment of the Center

Fadis Agricultural Research Centre (FARC) has evolved through several organizational and structural stages to reach the current status since its first establishment in 1985 G.C.  The Centre was initially established as Harar Rural Technology Promotion Centre (HRTPC) under the Rural Technology Promotion Department of Ministry of Agriculture in with the objectives of adapting, multiplying and promoting appropriate rural technologies generated at local and/or international research centers. The first structural change was made in 2000 after establishment of the regional government, and the HRTPC was upgraded to research center and renamed as Harar Rural Technology Research Center (HRTRC) and organized under Oromia Agricultural research Institute (OARI).  In 2000, the HRTPC was upgraded to research center and renamed as Rural Technology Research Center (RTRC) and organized under Oromia Agricultural research Institute (OARI) with objectives of undertaking research activities towards adaptation, improvement, development, demonstration and promotion of mechanization technologies in Eastern Oromia.

Finally, in 2008, HRTRC was upgraded into a comprehensive and full-fledged research center, and named as Fadis Agricultural Research Centre (FARC) with the objectives to support the agricultural development efforts in its mandated area through adapting, generating, improving, multiplying, and disseminating improved agricultural technologies in its mandate area. Since then, the center has undertaking different research activities, and various demand driven technologies and information relating to crop, animal feed and apiculture, natural resources, crop protection, agricultural engineering, socioeconomics and agricultural extension were generated and recommended for smallholder farmers and agro pastoralists of East Hararghe zone and beyond. For improving technology transfer and adoption process, Agricultural Transformation in Oromia (ATO) of Eastern Cluster was established and strengthening at the zonal, and district levels.

Center Location

 Fadis Agricultural Research Center (FARC) is located at 9⁰ 19’04.908’’ in the north and 42^o 05’42.090” in the East, and it is found in Harar City and situated at 525 km from Finfinne to East of the country. The main office of the center, metal and wood shops, laboratory and other research facilities of the center are situated at Harar City, and established on a total of 2.5 hectares of land.

Concerning to research station; the center has two research stations, Boko and Erer.  Boko Research Station is situated in Fadis district of East Hararghe zone at Boko town and located at the distance of 547 km form Finfine, and 22 km from the main office of the Center which is found at Harar city, and the station covers nearly 4.5 hectares of land. The altitude of the station is varying between 1200-1650 m.a.s.l. The second station is Erer Research Station which is situated in Erer Valley of Babile district of East Hararghe zone, and which is located at the distance of 553 km from Finfine and 33 km away from the main office of the Center and the station covers about 45 hectares of land. The altitude of the Erer Station varies between 1200 -1350 m.a.s.l.  Both stations are fully exploited and a number of research experiments and seed multiplication activities have been undertaking for technology generation and dissemination.

Mandate area

Fadis Agricultural Research Center (FARC) is the youngest research center that is mandated to conduct research in agriculture and basic technology multiplication and distribution in East Hararghe zone as well as West Hararghe zone (in Agricultural Engineering Research and Technology Promotion).  In addition, the center has mandated to coordinate the Agricultural Transformation of the Eastern Cluster of Oromia Region, which is consisting of East and West Hararghe zones. Moreover, the center has addressing Harari region and Dire Dawa Administration through Food System Resilience Program (FSRP), and conducting various FSRP supporting research projects/activities in Harari People National Regional State and Dire Dawa Administration.

Research focus areas of the center

1. Crops
2. Livestock
3. Natural resources
4. Crop protection
5. Agricultural engineering
6. Socioeconomics and research extension

Research processes and teams: the center has 6 core research processes, and 17 research case team, and listed below.

Crop Research Process

• Cereal research team
• Pulse and Oil crops research team
• Horticulture and Spice team

Livestock Research Process

• Animal feed resources and rangeland management team
• Apiculture team

Natural Resource Research Process

• Soil fertility improvement and problematic soil team
• Agroforestry team
• Soil and water conservation and watershed management team

Agricultural Engineering Research Process

• Agricultural machinery and farm power engineering
• Postharvest and product processing Engineering team
• Irrigation, water harvesting, and drainage engineering team
• Rural energy engineering team

Crop protection Research Process

• Pathology research team
• Entomology research team
• Weed science research team

Socio economic & Agricultural Extension Process

• Agricultural Economics research team
• Agricultural extension research team

Technology Multiplication and Distribution

• Seed research and crop technology multiplication team
• Agricultural engineering technology multiplication team

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