1. Inoculants Production, Distribution & Marketing Challenges
Scaling Chickpea Technologies for Increased Production and Productivity of Smallholder Farmers in Major Chickpea Producing Areas of Ethiopia
Inoculants Production, Distribution & Marketing Challenges
Dejene Woldemariam
CEO, Menagesha Biotech Industry PLC
Project Launch and Planning Workshop
15 April, 2015
ILRI Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. Outline of the presentation
Brief introduction of the company
Input (Inoculants) production and distribution: Past Experiences
Key Challenges in input production and distribution
Planning for 2015
Potential Partnership on this project

3. Brief introduction of the company
Menagesha Biotech Industry P.L.C. (MBI) is a local privately owned modest enterprise established in by three Ethiopian professionals
With the aim of producing and distributing bio- fertilisers for major legume crops of the country to be expanded to others crops in the coming years.

4. Brief introduction of the company
The National Soil Centre under the Ministry of Agriculture is the pioneer in producing and promoting the use of bio-fertilizer in the country successfully
After signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Centre, the Technology transfer arrangement has been made
The setup is approved by the National Soil Centre and the they also provided the start-up-capital

5. Brief introduction of the company
The production section of MBI is led by a PhD with extensive experience
MBI Currently employs 17 staffs
Microbiologist 2
Biologist 2
Technicians 3
Support Staff 10

6. Input (Inoculant, seed) production and distribution: Past Experiences
MBI currently offers to its clients rhizobia inoculants for the following leguminous crops: Faba beans, field pea, Chickpeas, Haricot beans, Soybeans, Lentil, Mung beans.
Other products like phosphate solubilizing micro organisms and Bio pesticides shall be produced in future.
During its establishment year MBI produced and distributed 30,000 packets
The second year we produced 70,000 packets

7. Equipment and Facilities

8. Equipment and Facilities

9. Equipment and Facilities

10. key Challenges in Input production and Distribution
The key Challenges in Input production and Distribution include:
Lack of distribution channels
No Institution to popularize inoculants in Ethiopia

11. Planning for 2015
At present it has developed the capacity to produce and distribute 150,000 packets, enough for 37,500 hectares of land.
With the assistance of this project: The capacity of the rhizobium strain producing unit will be strengthened through purchase of additional laboratory equipment
And the capacity will grow to produce and distribute 250,000 packets, enough for 62,500 hectares of land.

12. Potential Partnership
Menagesha Biotech Industry Plc. (MBI) for producing and supplying bio-fertilizers,
Bale-Green and Tsehay Union for multiplication and supply of improved chickpea seeds; and
The public research and extensions organizations for the implementation of an AGRA-SSTP supported project.

13. Potential Partnership
Major activities to be carried out under this project include:
Production of a minimum of 90,000 packets of inoculants
To develop production, distribution and marketing strategies for rhizobium inoculants
Establish and strengthen a minimum of five distribution channels for rhizobium strains and NPS fertilizer using FPCUs and/or agro-dealers
Technical backstopping to FPCUs and/or agro-dealers to improve the handling and timely delivery of rhizobium strains to smallholder farmers

14. Thank you!