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Photo & Caption

Photo: USAID

Girma, top left, and his sons are farmers in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region. They improved their land with help from a USAID program, which trains farmers in modern irrigation and horticultural practices.

The Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia suffers from severe soil erosion and land degradation. It is also subject to the vagaries of Ethiopia's rain, which is often inadequate or, many years, fails altogether. At best, many small farmers get only one harvest a year.

To combat these obstacles, USAID is supporting a program that trains farmers in modern irrigation and horticultural practices. Girma, a 50-year old Tigray farmer, built hillside terraces to prevent erosion and dug a well to irrigate his crops. His harvest has increased substantially.

"Three years ago there was not enough water for drinking or irrigation. Now with our conservation methods, I have profits from the sale of vegetables and enough money to buy cereals for my family and further develop my farming business," says Girma.

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