Report on: uu farmers’ exchange visit in scasi wolaita sites

Farmers’ Exchange Visit took place on August 29, 2024, in Ajora Kebele, Boloso Bombe, Wolaita Zone. The event was organized under CIMMYT’s Ukama Ustawi (UU) and Scaling Conservation Agriculture-based Sustainable Intensification (SCASI) projects. Funded by the CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa, UU focuses on promoting climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices, such as crop diversification, water management, and soil health improvement, to enhance food security and build resilience to climate change across multiple African countries, including Ethiopia. SCASI, supported by the Development Fund of Norway, aims to scale Conservation Agriculture-based Sustainable Intensification (CASI) practices, including minimum tillage, mulching, cover cropping, and intercropping, in combination with enhanced crop management techniques, to boost crop yields and soil health while minimizing environmental impact. Both projects have made significant progress towards supporting farmers through training, demonstration of the different practices, and community networks. The UU Farmers’ Exchange Visit basically initiated to capitalize on these achievements by facilitating cross-regional knowledge exchange between Sidama and Wolaita region farmers. Through field visits, peer learning, and discussions, the event highlighted the effectiveness of CASI practices in Wolaita, which can potentially motivate Sidama farmers to implement similar practices that can help them to enhance productivity, improve their soil health, and increase their resilience to climate change in their own communities.