28 years old single mother of three Yiftusira Ashenef is a host farmer of Community Demonstration Plot (CDP) in a 0.1 hectare plot in Wikma village of Gol Wikma Kebele, Enarj Enawga Woreda, East Gojam Zone, Amhara region of Ethiopia. She received training at farmers training center (FTC) organized in 30 members’ farmer group, of whom five were women. She first took training on agronomic practices like soil management, line planting, spacing, weeding, and post-harvest handling as well as training on group dynamics, and duties and responsibilities. She stands out as a model farmer from both men and women farmers.

SG-2000 Ethiopia organized the Community Demonstration Plot-Women Assisted Demonstration (CDP-WAD) in this green picturesque village by selecting, tasting, and duplicating the latest wheat variety of seed named “Kingbird”, released by the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR), with the aim of increasing production and productivity. The group received seed and fertilizer. Variety problem had been acutely felt in increasing productivity growing wheat, the area’s agricultural mainstay along with the staple crop Teff. Once SG-2000 did the demonstration and testing, the host farmers took over and expanded their plot multiplying the seeds and duplicating.

Since Yiftusira’s pre-basic seed leap out to be the finest, farmers in her village and in the vicinity flock to her site to either pay for her seed in cash or change [in kind] with their crops like Teff for double quantities to that of Yiftusira. She said: “The wheat seed we used to buy out in the market had tare (Lolium temulentum) in the midst which would affect the growth and the quality. I have the best variety now, besides, I work meticulously in my plot so that no hybrid will get in the way. I don’t wait or even want to receive the seed for free from now on; now that I’ve seen the results, I will gladly pay for it.”