ICRISAT-Ethiopia is pleased to introduce Dr. Asnake Fikre, who has joined our team effective Dec. 19th, 2016 as researcher; Chick pea breeder and Seed System Specialist. Dr Asnake is not new to most of you as he was the Director of Crops Research at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) working with various CG centers in multiple initiatives.

He has served the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research for more than 17 years as a breeder of legumes/chickpea, lentil and grasspea/based at Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center.  He has worked with different team/local and global partners. Dr. Asnake was able to release more than 12 superior chickpea and lentil varieties along with production packages. These technologies have been well adapted by farming communities and changed the productivity and production volume more than double just in a decade. There was significant associated income levels generated from those technologies.

Dr Asnake has also served at different levels of research leadership in different capacities including national chickpea and lentil project leader, Debre Zeit Research Center director, crops research directorate director, Agri-Quality, food and nutrition directorate director to mention some. He has led different bilateral projects including Tropical Legumes (TLI and TLII), Feed the Future (FtF), Grasspea projects. He is also member of different professional societies, and lead the crop science society of Ethiopia for four years. Dr Asnake also served the research system at large taking different national and international steering /committee membership.

Please join us welcoming Dr Asnake and provide him with the necessary support he may require during his transition period. Currently, he is sitting in Bonga B/g and you can reach him on ILRI’s Ext. # 2541 and ICRISAT’s direct tel. nos. 011-646 2541

Tigist Abrham

Program Assistant, ICRISAT-Ethiopia