SAA COVID-19 newsletter has been published. This edition is written about the situation in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia – the second most populous country in the African continent – has recorded over 220,000 positive cases of COVID-19 and registered 3,174 deaths as of 12 April, 2021.
Following the outbreak, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) conducted a rapid assessment on the impact of the pandemic on the agrifood system in its focus countries in Africa, including Ethiopia.

The assessment found that farmers’ access to training and technical support has been hindered by the pandemic – this was further reiterated by extension agents stating that they were unable to travel to provide training to farmers. Farmers also reported a reduced supply of inputs, with several expressing concerns about the inflation of commodity prices. Similarly, the majority of farmers anticipate that their access to labor is likely to be challenged as a result of the restrictions on movement, and disruptions to the community’s established arrangements supporting smallholder farmers. The pandemic also affected farmers’ public work campaigns, including community-based soil and water conservation, and canal construction activities.

Please see the file below to read more about this.

COVID-19 Newsletter