Article InformationEight potato varieties: five improved and released by Haramaya University and three from smallholders potato farmers variety (eastern Hararghe, Oromia, Ethiopia) were planted following cultural practices in RCBD with three replications to assess tuber quality and storage performance differences. Tubers were harvested in 2011. After curing at 15-18 o C and relative humidity of 75-82% for one week, the tubers were separately stored at 8-16 0 C and relative humidity of 69-83% for 20, 40, and 60 days in a ventilated storehouse in CRD with three replication per treatment. The results showed significant differences (P< 0.05) due to variety. Storage duration significantly reduced dry matter, specific gravity and amylose contents with no significant changes in ash, crude fibre, potassium and phosphorus contents. The highest dry matter, specific gravity, and amylose contents were obtained for the improved variety Chala whereas the lowest was for the farmers' variety Jarso. The highest crude protein content was recorded for the farmers' variety Mashenadima and the lowest was for the improved variety Zemen. The results revealed that potato tubers with superior physicochemical qualities, most of which are released varieties retained their qualities after storage for longer durations, whereas those with lower qualities could be stored only for shorter durations.

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Ethiopia is affected by recurrent drought and food-insecurity crises, including El Niño. El Niño started in mid-2014, worsened in 2015, and continued in 2016, leading to a widespread food-insecurity emergency resulting in a surge in the rate of acute malnutrition in infants due to suboptimal feeding practices. This study explored how El Niño influenced complementary feeding practices in the eastern Ethiopia community from March to September 2016. It was an exploratory qualitative study with a basic interpretative qualitative approach. A general inductive approach was used for the analysis. The study involved 11 focus group discussions (FGD) with a total of 76 people, including three with mothers, three with Health Development Army (HDA) leaders, two with fathers, two with traditional birth attendants, and one with religious leaders. El Niño resulted in failed crops and loss of livestock, resulting in reduced dietary diversity and meal frequency. El Niño resulted in suboptimal complementary feeding practices by reducing food access and altering livelihood and coping strategies, reducing the time mothers allocated to child feeding, keeping them away from home, and stressing community health services. The maternal suboptimal time allocation is central to the poor complementary feeding practices. Thus, the women should be supported with climate-resilient livelihood options in their villages, allowing them to feed their children and attend education sessions with HDA leaders.

Achieving the optimal transition to a family diet over the first two years of life has remained a challenge in Ethiopia. The use of amylase-rich flour (ARF) can improve complementary foods. However, utilisation requires an effective delivery strategy for upskilling the community to use ARF. The aim of this study was to explore facilitators and barriers of cascading ARF skills to improve complementary foods. The study was conducted in Gale Mirga kebele of Kersa district in Eastern Ethiopia in 2016. The study utilised exploratory qualitative research that used participatory action. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with the Health Development Army (HDA) leaders, religious leaders, and observation of participatory complementary food demonstrations. Cultural acceptability and the presence of HDA structure that supports skill development were identified as key facilitators to ARF use. On the other hand, the potential barriers to expanding ARF skill were lack of sustainability of external skill support for HDA leaders, perceived time constraints, unsuitable demonstration settings, cooking method, and large group size. The indigenous community’s knowledge of germination has not been used to improve complementary foods. The universal use of ARF requires integration into the Health Extension Programme (HEP) with support and supervision for HDA leaders.