Abstract: An increase of agricultural production is very important to achieve the goal of food security. An efficient use of the existing resources by farm households improves their productivity and thereby increases their output. Maize is one of the dominant crops and its productivity is low in the study area. This means that it is possible to obtain additional output from existing inputs used, if resource are properly used and efficiently allocated. The aim of this study was to investigate...
Abstract: Market access plays an essential role in ensuring better income and enhancing welfare of smallholder farmers and thus contributes to alleviate poverty. This is even more so in the Ethiopian context where crop production plays an essential role in the economy. This study investigated the determinants of smallholder farmers participation decision, which sequentially made, in potato sales in Kofele district, Ethiopia with the objective of identifying and analyzing factors affecting po...
Abstract: Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia cannot fully utilize improved agricultural technologies and recommended amount of inputs by using their own funds. They need credit to solve the liquidity constraint thereby to properly adopt new technologies. Therefore, the major concern of this study was to assess the impact of credit from MFIs on farmers’ income, expenditure and asset holding, to identify factors affecting farmers’ credit access, to analyze the pattern of credit use by the sma...
Abstract: This study analyzed the economic efficiency of barley production by smallholder farmers in Meket district, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia using cross sectional data collected from a sample of 123 barley producers during the 2015/16 production season by applying two stage random sampling. To address the objective of the study, both descriptive statistics and econometric models were used to analyze the data. The trans-log functional form was chosen to estimate both producti...
Abstract: Wheat is an important crop, which serves as a source of both food and cash in many parts Ethiopia. The Southern Nation, Nationalities and People Regional State is an ideal place for wheat production. Lemo district is one of the major producers of wheat products. Hence improved wheat seed is fundamental and basic element to improve production and productivity using other complementary inputs and technologies. In this regard effective wheat seed delivery and market oriented seed syst...
Abstract: Adoption of improved maize varieties in agricultural production is considered as one of the most promising ways to ensure food security and alleviate poverty in Ethiopia. However, the adoption and dissemination of these varieties were constrained by various factors. This study was aimed at identifying the factors that influence adoption and intensity of use of improved maize varieties in Gena Bossa District of Dawro Zone, Sothern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State. Cr...
Abstract: Eastern Hararghe Zone of Oromia region has the potential comparative advantage of producing vegetables. Despite this potential the farmers in the study area rarely utilize this opportunity to improve their livelihood. This study was undertaken to identify the determinants of smallholder farmers’ participation in onion market and level of commercialization in Haramaya District of East Hararghe Zone. Both primary and secondary data were used to achieve objective of the study. A mul...
Abstract: This study was aimed at analyzing structure, conduct and performance of coffee market, identifying factors affecting market supply of coffee and identifying major factors affecting market outlet choices of coffee producers. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Primary data were collected from 121 farm households selected randomly, 20 traders and 11clay pot coffee producers through semi structured questionnaire. The major market chain actors for coffee marketing ...
Abstract: This study was initiated to identify honey marketing channels, actors and their roles; to analyze the structure, conduct and performance of honey markets; to identify factors affecting volume of honey marketed and producers’ market outlets choices in Chena woreda of Kaffa zone, Southern Ethiopia. Data from a total of 154 sample honey producers from three randomly selected honey producing kebeles, 30 traders and 20 consumers were collected and analyzed. SCP model for structure con...
Abstract: The agricultural sector greatly influences economic performance in Ethiopia. About 11.7 million smallholder households account for approximately 95 percent of agricultural GDP and 85 percent of employment. This study was initiated to analyze chickpea market chains in Gondar Zuria Woreda, North Gondar Zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to identify key chickpea market chain actors and their roles;to analyze structure, conduct and performa...
Abstract: Vegetable postharvest losses are high in Africa and it has been estimated at about 50% of the total production. This implies that half of the total production is lost during storage, handling and transportation and at home. Postharvest loss management is expensive in terms of cost and labor. The main aim of this study is to make a comprehensive attempt to uncover the causes, extent and determinants of postharvest losses and its economic implications to various actors operating in t...
Abstract: Over thousands of years, pastoralists have managed their resources and livelihoods in the face of environmental challenges and difficult socio-economic conditions. However, since recent decades pastoralists are challenged in maintaining their livelihoods and coping mechanisms due to a range of ecological, demographic, economic, social, political and climatic changes. Such changes and crises can all easily reduce large numbers of pastoralists to destitution and sometimes cause a lar...
Abstract: Climate change is threat to the environment as the whole and to agriculture in particular. Itis aggravating drought, pests, diseases and other related environmental shocks and it impacts the dimension of food security.The main objective of the study was to identify farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change in Raya Azebodistrict, Southern Tigray, Ethiopia.Both primary and secondary data were used.Descriptive statistics were used to explain farmers’ perception of climate c...
Abstract: This study was carried out to determine the economic value of forest by Wood work enterprises for the reforestation of softwood Pine trees in Eastern Ethiopia, namely Dire Dawa Administrative Council, Harari Regional State and Deder district (woreda) of East Hararghe Zone. Forests in Eastern Ethiopia were the major sources of softwood Pine logs. Nowadays, some of commercially important Pine species are over-exploited and in short of supply. The study was undertaken with the objecti...
Abstract: Majority of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia pursue a dominant livelihood strategy mostly complemented by a second less dominant livelihood strategy. Choice of livelihood strategies is mostly constrained by shrinking natural capitals and adverse changes in climatic conditions that affects the outcomes from the adopted livelihood choices. In the face of such changes, comprehending the driving factors for the choice of current livelihood strategy is crucial to having objective informa...