Vertisols are important to Ethiopian agriculture. In the Ethiopian highlands alone, there are about 7.6 million hectares of vertisols out of which farmers use only 25% for crop production. In traditionally cultivated fields, farmers’ crops are suffocated by water and yields are significantly reduced.
Aybar’s Broad Bed and Furrow Maker (BBM) is used at planting time in order to drain excess water away from crops. It is a multi-purpose ridger and bed maker used to drain excess water and conserve moisture in dry areas. The innovator is currently working primarily in Ethiopia, where only 25% of the land is cultivated due to waterlogging. The BBM has been developed to build the optimum BBMs using lighter-weight materials appropriate for Ethiopian farmer needs. The use of their BBM has improved wheat yields from 0.5 tons per hectare to 3.8 tons per hectare.
Milestones and Achievements
In Year 1, Aybar has been busy manufacturing their BBMs. The innovator is working with farmers in both the wet and dry areas of Ethiopia to help local smallholders adopt their technology. Aybar seeks to train farmers on their BBMs, so that those farmers can, in turn, act as future trainers themselves.
- Support in navigating the Ethiopian small- plot farmer market and agricultural economy.
- Review of Aybar’s business model with accompanying feedback that will help them solidify and expand their value proposition and operations.
- Aid in communicating with local government officials to increase engagement with Aybar.