The Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR), said thta its research centers are being forcibly taken away by regional officials. Feto Esimo, the Director General of EIAR, informed the Agricultural Affairs Standing Committee at Parliament that various research centers in different cities are being taken over by city administrations, resulting in the displacement of these centers. Feto mentioned that the research station in Oromia region, which had been giving service for over 30 years, was recently compelled to vacate its premises due to pressure from the city administration. Despite attempts to negotiate a resolution, no response has been received thus far.
Currently, EIAR operates approximately 17 research centers, including those in Ambo, Debre Zeit, Assosa, Bako Maize Research Center, Chiro Sorghum, and Fogera Rice Research and Training Center.
Feto explained that three locations in the Amhara region, where research stations were situated, have been demolished, and the centers have been evacuated. These sites have been handed over to an investor since last year, resulting in the destruction of the property owned by EIAR. Despite these actions the research center owns legal title deeds. The Director General added that they are re-evaluating the situation.
The Ethiopian Agricultural Research is one of Africa’s oldest and largest agricultural research systems, dating back to the late 1940s with the establishment of agricultural and technical schools in Ambo and Jima. EIAR is responsible for coordinating agricultural research at the Regional Agricultural Research Institutes (RARIs), which are managed by federal research centers and state governments. Alongside its national coordination role, EIAR utilizes federal research centers to conduct research in various fields and provides advice to the government on agricultural research direction and policy formulation, based on data from the institute.
