This country-level impact study for Ethiopia combines ex-post and ex-ante estimation of
research gains from improved sorghum varieties developed by the National Breeding
Program of Ethiopia in collaboration with partners from international research institutions and
universities. The methodological framework for the study is the standard economic surplus
concept embedded in the DREAM model within a multiple domestic market configuration,
price spill-overs, and separate impact parameters (adoption path and yield differentials) for
each improved sorghum variety under consideration. Several model scenarios are
developed and applied to test the robustness of impact parameters and portray components
of ICRISAT’s development approach in the socioeconomic domain. One group of scenarios
refers to ICRISAT’s traditional breeding and crop management activities. The other group
captures elements of ICRISAT IMOD strategy (Inclusive Market Oriented Development) by
defining various markets and trading frameworks.
A three days impact assessment workshop was conducted in September 2013 in Melkassa,
Ethiopia and organised by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research. Sorghum
breeders, agronomists and socio-economists were invited to elaborate on the necessary
information for a model based impact assessment study, and guided by an ICRISAT
facilitator through an eight-stage data elicitation process. A second one-day workshop
followed in June 2014 to complete the pending tasks.