Starting up the first Poultry Producers Association The Ethiopian Poultry Producers Association (EPPA) is a membership-based association established in 2010 initially by 10 volunteer poultry producers in Bishoftu town. Currently, its members increased to 31 Ethiopian poultry farmers, ranging from small to big enterprises. EPPA is a beginning association lacking a good service portfolio and institutional capacity to serve the Ethiopian Poultry sub-sector in general and its members in particular. Though the importance of the association is acknowledged by its members, non-members, board, government and other stakeholders, EPPA needs advisory and financial supports to fully grow in order to play its roles and professionally represent the poultry producers in Ethiopia. To improve this situation, Agriterra in partnership with Agribusiness Support Facility (ABSF) committed itself towards strengthening and establishing the management function of the Association through subsidizing management staff recruitements, setting up of governance structure, techinical backstoppings to help the association analyze and understand the poultry sub-sector, strategic plan developments, but not least giving access to training and exchange visits to the association so as to better play its role in providing services to its members.

EPPA has a vision to see where complex Ethiopian poultry sub-sector get resolved and its members able to become internationally competitive. EPPA has a mission to promote Ethiopian poultry subsector through advocating for favorable business environments, better technology introduction to its members, creating access to training and education to its members, networking and match makings. 

However, EPPA has been facing challenges to strengthen their association. Its leaders face practical challenges to develop its organizational capacity, their service portfolio and their connection with relevant stakeholders to become a strong and independent association. EPPA is currently run by volunteers it requires professionalizing the association before it gets strong voice and influencing services. Though the importance of the association is acknowledged by its members, non-members, board, government and other stakeholders, EPPA needs advisory and financial supports to fully grow to play its roles and professionally represent the poultry producers in Ethiopia. 

Cognizant of these facts, Agriterra  has taken an assignment  to organize an advisory mission in January, 2013 GC on behalf of the Dutch Poultry Consortium. This mission is organized with the aim to position the Dutch poultry sector in Ethiopia and to support and strengthen the Ethiopian poultry sector. It was proposed during the mission to consider the following entry points for action plan development that could improve the passion of EPPA; putting a management structure in place to strengthen the internal management and restructuring of the units and regular holding monthly board meetings. In relation to services to members, lobbying the government, provision of education and training, facilitating storage facilities and introducing quality programs. 

Consequently, EPPA has been able to sign a memorandum of understandings with Ethiopian-Dutch Poultry Platform on May 16, 2013 and happen to be a sub set of &#64257;ve parties within the Agribusiness Support Facility; namely the Ethiopian Poultry Producers Association, the Holland-Africa Poultry Partners, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Netherlands Embassy and the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce. The MoU was signed in order to establish communal commitment to cooperate on the Ethiopian poultry sector.

Now with funding opportunities from Agriterra and ABSF side, it has been agreed Agriterra will Co-finance 50% (400,550 ETB) of the total budget required (800550 ETB) for funding 2014 EPPA’s action plan while the other 50% (400,000 ETB) of the action plan will be financed by Agri-business Support Facility (ABSF).  The budget is supposed to cover only activity based agreed action, not to be used for hardware infrastructures and facilities. Budget plan for stationeries and office facilities will be contributed by EPPA, which is 36,865 ETB&#61656;	To institutionally strengthen EPPA through professional service provision in order to have a strong institution that represents the Ethiopian poultry sector and its members&#61656;	Skill and knowledge development of members and non-members 
&#61656;	To train members on poultry bio security, poultry management and poultry record keeping and its economics.
&#61656;	To strategically develop EPPA to a more established and professional organization to serve members
&#61656;	Increase membership participation through awareness creation, discussion forums organization and training facilitation.
&#61656;	To help EPPA lobby on quality of the inputs and national policy matters of regulatory constraints associated with feed, input and marketing.
&#61656;	To create market linkages between poultry producers and consumers