Threshers Increase Efficiency and Grain Quality for Wheat Farmers in Ethiopia

Agribusiness Market Development (AMDe) is the Feed-the-Future initiative’s flagship program in Ethiopia. In the Wheat Value Chain, the program focuses on stimulating farmer cooperatives, agribusinesses, and processors to collaboratively and effectively respond to the market to become more productive and competitive.

“The threshing machine has relieved not only the individual farmer and his family members from days of work, but also our cattle from such heavy task,”

-Shiferaw Dadi, lead farmer and member of the Wodera FCU.

When Getachew Tefera, the President of the University of Debre Birhan, saw the farmers of the Wedera Farmer Cooperative Union (FCU) threshing their wheat at a public demonstration in February, he realized how a simple technology could save both time and energy.

Traditionally, Ethiopian wheat farmers thresh grain using their oxen, trampling the grain for hours. This process often results in a lower quality grain mixed with pebbles and dirt. Women then spend days winnowing the pile to separate the grain from the straw resulting in further post-harvest losses. However, with a portable thresher, a pile of wheat that might take a farmer 10 days to thresh takes the better part of one day.

The portable threshers—which Wodera FCU farmers estimate saves them approximately two-thirds of their threshing budget—are part of the Agriculture Growth Program-Argibusiness Market Development’s (USAID AGP-AMDe) intervention in the wheat value chain in Ethiopia. In 2014, USAID AGP-AMDe provided 14 threshers to the primary cooperative members of the Wodera FCU, in the Amhara Region.

In total, the program has provided 56 portable threshers to benefit approximately 50,000 wheat farmers in four regions of Ethiopia. Each machine represents an investment of 63,000 birr ($3,150 USD). The FCUs have committed to matching the investment by purchasing another thresher or a tractor. They also pay transport, training of operators and other associated costs such as fuel.

Since January, Wodera FCU farmers threshed over 700 metric tons of better quality wheat worth $10,152 USD. In addition to threshing, the machines also chop straw into animal feed. “The threshing machine has relieved not only the individual farmer and his family members from days of work, but also our cattle from such heavy task,” explains Shiferaw Dadi, lead farmer and member of the Wodera FCU. “Farmers used to spend many days threshing and grinding the wheat stalks to feed cattle. The thresher is a big advantage for us.”

After the demonstration, Debre Birhan University President Getachew Tefera linked with the FCU and a local vocational college to further research the technology. The university acquired a thresher that can be used in demonstrations for agriculture students. He also plans to look at designing spare parts for the machines. Being able to maintain the machines will increase the technology’s lifespan and sustainability.