Addis Ababa, November 19, 2025 (FMC) — The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) has positioned the second phase of the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters initiative, known as ACCII, as a nationwide pivot toward market-led agricultural growth, emphasizing expanded commercialization, private-sector participation, and climate-smart solutions.
The program was officially launched on Tuesday, November 18, during a high-level event in Addis Ababa that brought together government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, and smallholder farmer delegates to mark the transition from the initial ACC program to ACCII.
In his remarks at the launch, Director General Mandefro Nigussie outlined that ACCII builds on the achievements of the initial ACC program, which ran from 2019 to 2025 and enhanced productivity, marketable surplus, and farmer incomes across 11 strategic commodities.
The new phase broadens commodity coverage, extends geographic reach to additional regions, and integrates climate-resilient practices to strengthen Ethiopia’s agricultural system.
The program introduces a co-investment financing model requiring contributions from smallholder farmers and other value-chain actors, aimed at increasing ownership, encouraging enterprise development, and improving long-term sustainability. ACCII also emphasizes the creation of Farmer Production and Agribusiness Companies (FPACs) to foster market-oriented agribusiness and rural economic transformation.
Mandefro highlighted the enhanced role of the private sector, noting its participation in value-chain development and climate-smart solutions as central to ACCII’s implementation. He further underscored the importance of strategic, data-driven analytics and ATI’s internal capacity in program design and delivery as key to ensuring effective outcomes.
The Director General acknowledged the support of development partners in co-creating the program and emphasized the continuation of collaborative efforts from previous ACC initiatives. ACCII also aims to empower women and youth, promote social inclusion, and link agricultural transformation with broader rural development objectives.