Facilities

The Bako Agricultural Research Center (BARC) is a major multidisciplinary agricultural research institution located near Bako town in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia, about 250–258 km west of Addis Ababa. It was originally established in 1964 through an agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Federal Republic of Germany as the Ethio‑German Experimental Station, later transitioning to full regional research oversight under the Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (OARI) after 2002. The center sits at an altitude of approximately 1,650 m above sea level in a mid‑altitude, sub‑humid agro‑ecology with relatively high rainfall. Spread over roughly 1,440 hectares, BARC’s land includes experimental fields, forest and grazing areas, research facilities, residential zones, and infrastructure needed to support its comprehensive research programs. BARC’s core mission is to identify, prioritize, and address agricultural production constraints in western Oromia by generating and promoting demand‑driven technologies and knowledge. The center conducts research across a wide range of thematic areas, including crop improvement (cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and horticultural crops), crop protection (pathology, entomology, and weed science), livestock production, natural resource management, socio‑economic and extension studies, and emerging areas such as coffee and tea research. BARC also plays a critical role in producing and multiplying early‑generation maize seed and other technologies, building stakeholder capacity, and collaborating with national and international partners to enhance sustainable agricultural productivity and food security in its mandate zones.