“Bounty of the Basket” (“Yelemat Tirufat”) initiative aims to ensure food and nutrition security, substitute imports, boost livestock export earnings, and contribute to job creation. In this effort, the Livestock and Fishery Sector Development Project (LFSDP) plays a key supporting role.
A major constraint in livestock and fishery development is the shortage of quality and balanced animal feed. To address this challenge, youths are organized into small and medium-scale enterprises and, supported to engage in building feed processing machines.
Aster Kankasho is a resident of Humbo Woreda in Wolayita Zone, Southern Ethiopia. After graduating in veterinary science, she spent two years searching for a job, then, decided to start her own business. Together with her peers, she ventured in to the livestock sector.
They organized into a cooperative to start a feed processing business, which is a critical area in the livestock sector. Guided by the belief that “unity is strength,” Aster and 14 other graduates (9 women and 6 men) established the Anjonuio Poultry Feed Processing and Marketing Cooperative in 2023.
Through the support of LFSDP, the Cooperative received machinery, initial inputs, facilities, and training. Today, it produces poultry, dairy, and fattening feed which they widely supply in their community. This has significantly improved livelihoods of each member while contributing to addressing feed shortages.
Aster says that feed development is not only a viable business but also a meaningful contribution to national livestock growth.
She also states that feed processing is both sustainable and profitable. Today, she has moved away from depending on her family to supporting others, and inspiring her group members to further expand the operations of the Cooperative.
The Cooperative currently supplies feed to dairy and poultry producers in surrounding cities, as well as to farmers, cooperatives, and markets across multiple woredas and zones—strengthening its market linkages.
The feed processing machine built by the Cooperative has a capacity of producing 20 quintals feeds per hour. Looking ahead, the group plans to fully utilize this capacity, expand production, and reach wider market access.
Prepared by: Tewabe Chanie
Photographer: Yodit Endalew
