6th Quarterly Report Year 2 – Quarter 2: Pastoralist Areas Resilience Improvement through Market Expansion (PRIME) Project

Financed through Feed the Future and Global Climate Change facilities, PRIME aims to enhance prospects for long-term development in Ethiopia's dryland landscape. The program works to achieve its overall goal of Increasing Household Incomes and Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change through Market Linkages by meeting five major objectives. These objectives include improved productivity and competitiveness of livestock and livestock products, enhanced pastoralists' adaptation to climate change, strengthened alternative livelihoods for households transitioning out of pastoralism, ensured enhanced innovation, learning, and knowledge management, and improved nutritional status of targeted households. During the second quarter of the second year, PRIME continued to advance small-scale competitive business expansion grants for the expansion of private veterinarian pharmacy networks, establishment and improvement of milk collection points, establishment of livestock feedlots and holding grounds, and increased animal feed production. The project also conducted and facilitated the participation of diversified target market actors to the Ethiopian Somali Regional Agricultural Fair and the Gulffood Fair in Dubai. Market linkage events were conducted to provide direct Business to Business (B2B) familiarization of PVPs and animal health products to wholesalers in the Southern Cluster. In addition, PRIME conducted a series of refresher trainings for CAHWs and pastoral producers, trainings in animal feed production, conservation, and utilization for women pastoral groups, as well as training in business management for Private Veterinary Pharmacies (PVPs) and livestock traders. PRIME also focused on providing technical assistance for the further development of the National Livestock Market Information System by the Ministry of Trade, conducting consultative meetings for the development of the National Livestock Identification and Traceability System with the Ministry of Agriculture, and initiation of several activities that support the local government capacity to offer animal health prevention and animal health monitoring services needed by the pastoral producers. The project's activities aimed to improve market linkages within the market actors in key value chains and market systems. PRIME conducted a series of trainings and workshops to enhance the skills and knowledge of pastoral producers, CAHWs, and private veterinary pharmacies. The project also provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture to develop the National Livestock Market Information System and the National Livestock Identification and Traceability System. PRIME's efforts focused on improving the productivity and competitiveness of livestock and livestock products, enhancing pastoralists' adaptation to climate change, and strengthening alternative livelihoods for households transitioning out of pastoralism. The project's activities aimed to improve the nutritional status of targeted households through targeted, sustained, and evidence-based interventions.