Vegetable production is mainly practiced by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and it is their main source of income, employment opportunities and improving food security. Although farmers are producing more surplus vegetables, they are not much linked with markets and thus their opportunity to diversify their livelihoods from vegetable production is very much limited. Thus, this study was required to identify factors affecting market participation among smallholder vegetable farmers in southwest Ethiopia. To get the sample respondents two-stage sampling procedures were employed and finally, 240 vegetable producers were selected. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from primary and secondary sources. To achieve the stated objective probit model was used and its result indicates that age of household head, household family size, education level of household head, labour market, market information and distance from the market place were statistically influencing market participation among smallholder vegetable producers. To enable smallholder's participation in vegetable marketing government interventions is needed to strengthening institutional service, communication and infrastructure facilities. This study may be valuable input for smallholder farmers, policymakers and other stakeholders in revealing the gab in the performance of the current vegetable production system to realize the national development policy.
This paper aims to give emphasis on the causes and consequences of land degradation in Ethiopia. The results from different literatures indicate that the major factors that cause land degradation in Ethiopia are: clearing woodland for agriculture, repeated cultivation, removal of residuals and dungs, single cropping, extraction of wood, population growth, deforestation, soil erosion, low technology, inadequate extension services, political instability, cultivation on steep slopes, overgrazing, traditional way of cultivation, heavy wind, high intensity of rainfall, drought and landslides, absence of all-inclusive land use and lack of land use plans developed. On the other hand, the depletion of forests and vegetation, loss in water resources, reduction of livestock, enhancing the unemployment rate and out-migration, conflict between pastoralists, food insecurity, decreasing of soil fertility and arable land, reduction of agricultural productivity, increasing price of farm inputs, reduction of plants grown, depletion of aquifers, loss of biodiversity, reduction of potable water, shortages of timber, climate change and desertification are the major consequences of land degradation in Ethiopia. Afforestation, Reforestation, terracing, crop rotation, mixed cropping, irrigation schemes and traditional soil conservations are among the coping strategies that Ethiopian farmers are using. To overcome this problem, strengthening the teamwork among policy makers, GOs/NGOs, local communities, research institutes and the mass media are the key agents that must take these responsibilities.
The Agricultural policies in Ethiopia to improve the commercial orientation of farmers require identification of challenges at farmer level and in-depth action to shift the sector. It needs more works to be done to transform the country's current subsistence oriented production system of smallholder farmers. Considering this fact, the current study aimed to identify the factors affecting the degree of agricultural commercialization of smallholder farm outputs in the Offa district of Ethiopia. Primary data was collected from 120 randomly selected households using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to describe the output market participation and difference. Furthermore, the Tobit econometric model was used to find determinants of the degree of agricultural commercialization of smallholder farms. A total of 11 explanatory variables were considered in the regression. Total cultivated land size, education, household head age, and access to transport were found significantly determining the intensity of farm output side commercialization. Concerning development authorities should focus on these variables in design, promotion, and implementation of policies and programs to increase rural household participation in commercialization and to secure its benefits in the area.
Almost all developing countries satisfy their energy requirements from firewood. In Ethiopia majority of the rural population relies on biomass energy sources for every energy necessities. Fuelwood accounts for about 78 % of the total energy needs, whereas animal dung and crop residue share 12 % and nine percent, respectively. Almost all of the firewoods are collected from natural forests and few of them from homestead trees. Chronic drought, land degradation, and loss of soil fertility that are positively correlated with low livestock and crop productivity are extensions of deforestation for firewood. Heavy dependency on biomass fuel in Ethiopia has resulted in fast deforestation, desertification, climate change, global warming and finally decrease in agricultural productivity. Therefore the adoption of biogas technologies has great potentials to supply low-cost energy and results in less dependency on firewood. To improve such adverse socioeconomic and ecological costs, interventions like improved biogas technologies, raising community awareness on deforestation, and utilization of alternative energy technologies are recommended to conserve natural forests.
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