Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Center (DBARC)
Overview
Established Year:
Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Center (DBARC) was initially managed under Holeta Agricultural Research Center and established in 1965 E.C. as part of the former Sheno Agricultural Research Station. It became a dedicated agricultural research sub-center in Sheno in 1978 E.C. and was officially renamed Sheno Agricultural Research Center (SARC) in 1988 E.C. In 1997 E.C., the center was transferred to Debre Birhan and subsequently renamed Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Center to reflect its new location. Since then, DBARC has been one of the main research centers under the Amhara Agricultural Research Institute.
Location:
DBARC is situated in the North Shewa Zone of the Amhara Region, approximately 120 kilometers northeast of Addis Ababa and 10 kilometers from Debre Birhan city along the paved highway to Dessie. DBARC's geographical coordinates range from 09°36′45″ to 09°35′45″ north latitude and from 39°29′40″ to 39°31′30″ east longitude, with an elevation of 2,828 meters.
DBARC Staffing: As of July 2024, DBARC has a total of 239 staffs, including 97 researchers, 1 technical assistant, and 141 support staff.
Directorate:
There are six research directorates for agricultural technology supply:
Crop
Livestock
Soil and Water
Forestry
Socio-economics and Agricultural Extension
Technology Multiplication and Seed Research
The center is also supported by four divisions:
Procurement
Finance and Property Management
Human Resources
Planning and Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation
Internal Audit
Mission and Mandate
Mission:
The center's mission is to generate, develop, and adapt agricultural technologies, information, and knowledge to support overall agricultural development and benefit its stakeholders. The center seeks to create demand for improved agricultural technologies through demonstration, popularization, and scaling. Additionally, DBARC is dedicated to multiplying and disseminating agro-ecologically sound and advanced agricultural technologies to improve the community's standard of living.
Mandate Area:
DBARC is responsible for conducting scientific research on key agricultural production challenges in the Eastern part of the Amhara Region, specifically in the North Shewa Zone. DBARC focuses its research on various agro-ecological areas within the North Shewa Zone, which holds significant potential for agricultural development due to its diverse natural resources and extensive livestock and crop potential.
Mandate Research:
DBARC coordinates research activities for various commodities both regionally and nationally. At the national level, DBARC manages the sheep research project. Regionally, it oversees research in several areas, including cereals (food and malt barley), pulses (lentils, faba beans, field peas), highland fruits and vegetables (garlic, cabbage, carrots), livestock (sheep, animal feed, and nutrition), soil and water (black soil management and cultivation), forestry (plantation and protection), and socio-economics (market research and value chains).
Facilities and Infrastructure
DBARC initially focused its research efforts on the highlands of North Shewa but has since expanded its focus
to encompass the mid-altitude and lowland areas of the region.
To support diverse farming systems, DBARC operates a main research center in Debre Birhan, a sub-center in Alem Ketema, and maintains nine additional trial sites across various agro-ecologies.
Overall, the center manages nine trial sites and one sub-center, where a range of research activities are carried out.
Debre Birhan, M/Medda, Molale, Andit Tid, and Bakelo are situated in the cool moist highlands agro-ecological zone.
Enwari, Deneba, and Alem Ketema fall within the sub-moist mid-highlands agro-ecological zone.
The Jewuha research station is located in the hot to warm moist lowlands agro-ecological zone.
The figure below provides details and a location map of the main center, trial sites, and sub-center.
DBARC’s main center has a range of research facilities.
Offices and other buildings:
It includes four buildings, each housing 12 offices.
library
Old garage
An entertainment club
Meeting hall
Laboratories:
Soil, water, and plant analysis
Plant protection
Animal nutrition
Animal health (focusing on parasitology and microbiology)
Mini dairy laboratory
Machinery
Feed mills
Feed choppers
Milking machines
Tractors
Balers
Disc plows
Disc harrows
Seed threshers
Mowers
Maize planters
Additionally, DBARC operates various screen houses devoted to the breeding and
improvement of potatoes, barley, and faba beans.
Facilities under construction
Modern barn for dairy cows, a modern protection laboratory, and a
water storage tank with a capacity of 120,000 liters.
Contact Information
Address: Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Center,
POBOX 112, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia
Phone Number: +251-116-560374
Email Address: dbarc@arari.gov.et or dbarc2024@gmail.com
Social Media Links: Links to social media profiles
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