Assistance for the Operation and Maintenance of the Ethiopian Food Security Reserve, Ethiopia. Project findings and recommendations

Since the 1973-74 drought, FAO has participated in several studies in Ethiopia related to food security and, in 1979, recommended the establishment of a food security reserve (FSR) in strategically located warehouses of an initial 60 000 tonnes, to rise over time to 180 000 tonnesWarehousing for 350 000 tonnes of grain was constructed under a World Bank programme, and donations of grain were received from the WFP and bilateral sources. The FSR became operational in April 1982; technical assistance was provided, until 1986, through projects GCP/ETH/032/NET and GCP/ETH/040/NET, which were funded by the Government of the Netherlands and executed by FAOHowever, donor support for the FSR was well below target and the management of stocks was not of adequate standard. The Government of Ethiopia therefore requested additional technical assistance to manage and extend the food security reserve. This resulted in the approval of project ETH/86/018, implemented by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) and executed by FAOThe main purpose of the project was to strengthen the planning and operational management of the FSR, to enable the RRC to maintain grain quality in national and regional stores, and to provide training in warehouse management and food administrationThe project provided support to the RRC and the National Committee for Central Planning on FSR issues, arranged training courses for staff of the RRC and the Agricultural Marketing Corporation, in Ethiopia and abroad, and established five mobile fumigation teamsThe project also undertook additional work on the disinfestation of foodgrain stocks under the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme project TCP/ETH/8962, `Emergency Assistance for the Maintenance of Foodgrain Studies'As a result of the project, there has been a significant improvement in the standards of warehouse management and stock quality. Despite difficult circumstances, the Government has maintained and operated a reserve stock since 1982, with technical assistance from this and earlier FAO-executed projects. However, stocks have been well below target levels, as donors have been reluctant to support the reserve under RRC management. The planned decentralization has not taken place, due to the security situation and low level of stocksIt was recommended that the Government complete the institutional arrangements necessary to bring the FSR into full operation, including the establishment of the Food Security Unit as an autonomous unit within the RRC, with an expanded role in relation to national and international donor and technical agenciesIt was essential that the size of the food security reserve be built up to the levels planned, and decentralized by the use of regional warehouses, in order to effectively operate the reserve; it was recommended that warehouse and pest management training be provided on a continuing basis; and that the mobile disinfestation services be maintained. These services should also be made available to other agencies on a reimbursement basi