The Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute introduced new hybrid highland maize varieties to the farmers in Hosaena, Hadiya Zone.

Kassa Yihun, Researcher and Coordinator of the Highland Maize Project at Ambo Plant Protection Research Center, said the latest highland maize varieties are different from the previous maize varieties the farmers used.

The new varieties grow fast in highland regions. With optimal amount of moisture, the new maize varieties will grow within 100-110 days while the previous varieties used to take much longer time, according to Kassa.

The new varieties also give higher yields on a small farm land. In areas like Hadiya, where there is scarcity of farm land, growing the new varieties of maize will play a huge role in ensuring food security in the region, Kassa added.

Source: Ethiopian Press Agency