Background of the Program

Policy-makers worldwide focus increasingly on the development of agro-industries with emphasis on promoting effective agro-value chains as a means of further expansion of the leading role played by agriculture in economic growth and poverty reduction. Their development has a positive impact on employment in both rural and urban areas (off-farm processing and income diversification), offers market access to smallholders, and creates business linkages to small and medium enterprises.

In the era of ever-changing interests of consumers, it is consumers’ need that dictates production and marketing of agricultural commodities. Hence, agribusiness enterprises should pay attention to consumer satisfaction through adding value to their goods and services along the market chains. Value addition and consideration of consumers’ demands will be achieved through flourishing agribusiness enterprises that start the business from assessment of consumers’ need and transformation of production resources and processes at their organization.

Therefore, it is essential for agribusiness firms to carryout value adding activities at each stage of their operation. However, agribusiness activities that follow patterns of value chain need a well-trained and adequately informed manpower capable of managing diverse and multidimensional functions inherent in agribusiness and value chain areas. In other words, the value chain system calls for skilled and dynamic agribusiness and value chain professionals that have the ability to reconcile the available resource capacity with the changing needs of the customers at various levels.

Agribusiness and Value Chain Management program was launched in 2011/12 at Jimma, Haramaya, Ambo, and Hawassa Universities in B.Sc. program. The graduates are expected to make medium level contribution for the intended goal of agricultural transformation in the country. But the country needs more skilled and informed graduates with higher analytical and problem solving capacities. At various forums and discussions in the country, the need for such competent graduates was reflected. Contacts with agricultural firm owners indicated that the country needs graduates with clear understanding about the complex relationship between agricultural production and marketing processes and the dynamics in consumers’ needs.

In view of this, the four universities in collaboration with NUFFIC (NICHE-Eth-019 project) initiated a-two-year M.Sc. program in Agribusiness and value chain management in regular program with the aim of addressing the manpower deficit in the field. Currently in addition to regular program; Jimma University (JUCAVM)is delivering MSc in Agribusiness and Value Chain Management program in Kiremt and Evening (weekend).

Rationale for the EMBA Program

·  Consistency with government priorities of capacity building, decentralization, and civil service reform.

·  Changing economic conditions and stakeholders preference for EMBA in Agri-Business programs.

·   Compatibility with JU strategy of vertical diversification of graduate training programs.

·   Being a pioneer higher learning institutions offering the program.

·   Adequacy of staff and inputs to start the program

·    The program is demanded by the companies

Core Courses

Specialization

Semester Base Course Breakdown

SEMESTER I

SEMESTER II

SEMESTER III

SEMESTER IV